India, China to hold second round of SR-level talks on LAC dispute in Delhi
The meeting comes at a time when tensions along the border have eased considerably after the BRICS Summit in Kazan. The bilateral ties between Beijing and New Delhi have also improved considerably since the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the summit in October 2024.
New Delhi: The second round of talks at the Special Representative (SR) level between India and China to resolve the border dispute along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) will be held on August 19 at Hyderabad House in Delhi. The meeting will be attended by Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi and external affairs minister S Jaishankar. Following the talks, Wang Yi will also meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The meeting comes at a time when tensions along the border have eased considerably after the BRICS Summit in Kazan. The bilateral ties between Beijing and New Delhi have also improved considerably since the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the summit in October 2024.
First SR-level talks in Beijing
Ahead of the summit, both countries agreed to disengage troops from Demchok and Depsang, while also completing withdrawals from four key flashpoints -- Pangong, Galwan, Gogra, and Hot Springs. These areas have since been converted into buffer zones.
On October 21, 2024, after the Modi–Xi meeting, it was decided to institutionalise the process through Special Representative-level talks. The first round was held in Beijing in December, led by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. The second round will now take place in Delhi.
Three figures have been central to the resolution process: Prime Minister Modi, who gave the military freedom to take swift operational decisions while leveraging economic pressure on China; external affairs minister Jaishankar, who kept the issue alive on international platforms and steered diplomacy; and NSA Doval, who held direct negotiations with Wang Yi to advance the SR-level dialogue.
Situation along LAC after standoff in 2020
During the height of the standoff, the Indian Army occupied strategic heights in South Pangong and deployed heavy weaponry. According to reports, this show of strength was instrumental in bringing China to the table.
Since the Kazan Summit between Modi and Xi, the border has remained largely calm and the second SR talks are expected to push India and China closer to a permanent resolution of the Eastern Ladakh dispute.