New Delhi, Aug 2026 : India and China have agreed on an eight-point set of measures aimed at strengthening border management, maintaining peace and tranquillity along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), and advancing efforts to resolve the long-standing boundary dispute.
The agreement followed the 25th round of talks between the Special Representatives (SRs) of India and China, held in Beijing on August 25. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, India’s Special Representative, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, his Chinese counterpart, held what both sides described as a candid and in-depth exchange of views on the boundary question and broader bilateral issues.
During the discussions, the two countries reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining peace and tranquillity in the border areas and creating favourable conditions for the stable and sustained development of bilateral relations.
The two sides also agreed to push forward negotiations on a framework for resolving the boundary dispute, guided by the 2005 Agreement on Political Parameters and Guiding Principles and subsequent understandings reached during the Special Representatives’ dialogue.
As part of this process, the Expert Group on Boundary Delimitation and the Working Group on Border Management under the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) will begin discussions aimed at achieving an “early and substantial harvest” in the areas of boundary delimitation and border management. Their immediate priority will be to finalise the terms of reference for their respective mechanisms.
India and China further agreed that developments or situations arising on the ground should be addressed quickly through established diplomatic and military communication channels. These include the WMCC as well as local commander-level meetings, with the objective of preventing misunderstandings, miscalculations and unnecessary escalation along the LAC.
To improve communication between the two militaries, the countries also agreed to establish two additional meeting points under the General-Level Mechanism/Senior Highest Military Commander-level mechanism. In addition, two new military hotline channels will be created in the Eastern and Middle Sectors.
The talks also covered trans-border cooperation and people-to-people exchanges. India welcomed China’s decision to increase the number of batches of Indian pilgrims undertaking the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra in the Tibet Autonomous Region.
Both sides also welcomed the reopening of three designated border trading points and agreed to strengthen cooperation in areas including border trade, pilgrimage and other forms of cross-border engagement.
The two countries said their efforts were aimed at creating a more conducive atmosphere based on dialogue, peace, consultation and cooperation in the border regions.
The discussions also addressed trans-border rivers. India and China agreed to convene the next meeting of the Expert-Level Mechanism on Trans-border Rivers in September. The meeting is expected to focus on issues such as the sharing of hydrological data and the renewal of relevant memorandums of understanding.
The latest agreement represents another step in efforts by New Delhi and Beijing to stabilise relations following tensions along the LAC in recent years. While the boundary dispute remains unresolved, both sides have increasingly emphasised the importance of maintaining communication mechanisms to manage differences and prevent incidents on the ground from affecting wider bilateral ties.
The Special Representatives’ dialogue remains an important channel for addressing the boundary question at the political and strategic level. The two sides agreed that the 26th round of Special Representatives’ talks will be held in India in 2027, providing a further opportunity to build on the latest consensus and advance negotiations.
The eight-point understanding, covering boundary negotiations, military communication, border management, pilgrimage, trade and trans-border river cooperation, reflects a broader effort to keep dialogue active while working towards long-term stability along the India-China border.
