China, India hold border talks, agree to continue search for boundary settlement

China and India agreed yesterday (25 August) to continue dialogue and seek ​a "fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement" of their border issue ‌after talks between senior diplomats in Beijing.

The world's two most populous nations, both nuclear powers, share a roughly 3,800-km (2,400-mile), largely undemarcated and disputed border in the Himalayas.

Chinese ​Foreign Minister Wang Yi and India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval ​had "comprehensive, in-depth, friendly and candid" discussions on border affairs and ⁠bilateral ties, China's foreign ministry said in a statement.

Wang said China-India ​relations were no longer only of bilateral importance but carried global and ​strategic significance, saying the two neighbours should strengthen communication and reduce their differences.

The Indian Embassy in China confirmed in a post on X that the two sides had reviewed ​bilateral ties and had discussed ways to further expand cooperation and maintain ​stability and peace in border areas.

Ties between Beijing and New Delhi have gradually improved ‌in ⁠recent years following a deadly 2020 border clash, which led to a four-year military standoff before a disengagement agreement was reached in October 2024.

Last year Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited China for the first time ​in seven years, ​in a sign ⁠of a thaw in relations. More recently, a fresh border-related dispute triggered sharp diplomatic exchanges between the two ​rivals.

"Both sides should learn from historical experience, place the ​border issue ⁠in an appropriate position in bilateral relations, and move forward without stagnation, regression, or deviation," Wang was quoted as telling Doval at Tuesday's meeting.

The two ⁠countries ​have agreed to hold the next round ​of border talks in India in 2027, the Chinese statement added.