India, China revive bilateral ties, aim to resolve border dispute

India and China took a significant step towards reviving their bilateral relationship on Wednesday, announcing plans to address the longstanding boundary dispute and promote peace and tranquillity in border areas.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met on the sidelines of the 16th BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, marking their first formal meeting in five years.

The two nations have exchanged maps detailing their respective perceptions of the boundary in the central sector, which includes Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. A boundary in Sikkim is largely agreed upon, but China has yet to engage on boundaries in Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh.

The key developments include patrolling arrangement for troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), disengagement from remaining friction spots in Eastern Ladakh and the revival of bilateral relations through dialogue mechanisms.

The Ministry of External Affairs said, “They welcomed the recent agreement for complete disengagement and resolution of issues that arose in 2020 in the India-China border areas”.

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the special representatives on the boundary question, will meet to explore a fair and mutually acceptable solution. The two nations have exchanged maps detailing their respective perceptions of the boundary in the central sector.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri emphasised that restoration of peace stability in border areas would create space for normalising bilateral relations. MEA noted that relevant dialogue mechanisms will be utilised to stabilise and rebuild bilateral relations.

Both leaders sought a stable, predictable, and amicable bilateral relationship, recognising its positive impact on regional and global peace and prosperity.