India, China to discuss border peace ahead of Wang Yi’s visit

China’s foreign ministry spokesperson on Monday said Beijing is ready to work with India to “sustain lasting peace and tranquillity in the border areas”. Mao Ning, a spokesperson of the Chinese foreign ministry, made the remarks in China just a day ahead of the meeting of Special Representatives (SR) of the two countries on the boundary question. The meeting is in New Delhi on Tuesday. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is SR for his country, will meet National Security Advisor Ajit Doval for what would be the 24th round of SR talks.

At a regular press briefing in Beijing, Mao was asked about the forthcoming talks, and China’s state-run mouthpiece Global Times quoted Mao’s response: “Regarding this upcoming meeting, China is willing to engage with India on the basis of existing consensus, adopt a positive and constructive attitude, and continue in-depth discussions on the aforementioned issues to jointly sustain lasting peace and tranquillity in the border areas.” She said talks between SRs of China and India on the boundary question serve as a high-level channel for border negotiations between the two countries.

In December last year, the 23rd meeting of ‘Special Representatives for the China-India Boundary Question’ was successfully held in Beijing, yielding multiple consensus points on boundary delimitation talks, border management, institutional mechanisms, and cross-border exchanges and cooperation. Mao said that since the beginning of the year, both sides have maintained communication through diplomatic channels and actively advanced the implementation of these outcomes.

Mao added that China was willing to take the opportunity of Wang’s visit to India to work together with the Indian side in implementing the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, maintain the momentum of high-level exchanges, enhance political mutual trust, strengthen practical cooperation, properly manage differences, and promote the sustained, healthy, and stable development of India-China relations.

In October last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, at a meeting in Kazan, Russia, resumed their stalled bilateral relationship by tasking the SRs with overseeing steps to ensure peace and tranquillity in border areas. They have also been asked to work out a “fair, reasonable, and mutually acceptable” solution to the pending boundary issue. India had given its opinion twice – once in June and again in July – as it pressed upon China for resolving ‘friction’ along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Meanwhile, Wang, who is scheduled to arrive in India this afternoon, will meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar later in the day. Tomorrow, after the SR-level talks, he would call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.