New Delhi: National Security Advisor NSA Ajit Doval will reach Beijing on Monday, August 24, where he will participate in the Special Representatives SR talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the India-China border issue. The 25th round of SR talks is to be held between the two countries on Tuesday. This visit is taking place at a time when efforts are being made to reduce tension on LAC.
Big meeting is being held before BRICS summit
The upcoming talks assume significance as it comes ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's possible visit to India for the BRICS summit to be held on September 12-13 in New Delhi.
Although Xi's visit has not yet been officially confirmed, officials from both sides are optimistic about his participation. It is believed that the Doval-Wang talks will prepare the ground for this big tour.
India-China relations are tense after Galwan
The talks are taking place at a time when India and China are working towards reducing tension and deescalating the military confrontation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Relations between the two countries had become quite tense after the violent clash in Galwan Valley in June 2020, after which India and China deployed a large number of troops and military equipment in eastern Ladakh.
In recent years, several rounds of talks have taken place between the two countries at military and diplomatic levels. The objective of these talks has been to withdraw troops from LAC, disengagement and ensure peace and stability in the border areas.
What is the Special Representative System, how does it work?
The Special Representative Mechanism is an important forum created to find a political solution to the border dispute between India and China. India's NSA and their China's counterparts interact under this mechanism. Its objective is not only to reduce the existing military tension but also to find a political path for a comprehensive and long-term solution to the border dispute.
What issues will be discussed in this tour, why is it so important?
Issues related to LAC, maintenance of peace on the border, deployment of troops, border management and the overall situation of India-China bilateral relations are expected to figure prominently in the talks between Doval and Wang.
India has consistently said that peace and stability on the border is the basic condition for normalization of relations between the two countries. China has also insisted on resolving the border dispute through dialogue. The importance of this meeting increases because both diplomatic talks and military level talks are very important to improve India-China relations.
This visit of Doval is also important because the talks of Special Representatives are not only a platform for immediate military management of the border dispute but it can also play an important role in finding a long-term political solution to the India-China border issue.