India and China agree on an eight-point roadmap to strengthen border management, advance boundary delimitation, expand military communication channels and promote stability along the Line of Actual Control
India and China agree on an eight-point consensus to strengthen border management and maintain peace along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), following the 25th round of talks between their Special Representatives in Beijing. The discussions are led by India's National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
The two sides reaffirm their commitment to maintaining peace and tranquillity in border areas while creating conditions for the stable development of bilateral relations. They also agree to continue negotiations toward a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement of the long-standing boundary question, based on the 2005 Agreement on Political Parameters and Guiding Principles.
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A key element of the roadmap is the decision to advance discussions on an "Early and Substantial Harvest" in boundary delimitation and border management. The Expert Group on Boundary Delimitation and the Working Group on Border Management under the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) are tasked with taking forward these discussions, beginning with agreement on their respective terms of reference.
The countries also agree to strengthen mechanisms for handling incidents along the LAC. Any situation on the ground is to be addressed promptly through existing diplomatic and military channels, including the WMCC, local commander-level meetings and other established mechanisms. The objective is to prevent misunderstandings and miscalculations and improve management of the disputed border.
To improve military communication, India and China agree to establish two additional meeting points for General Level Mechanism or Senior Highest Military Commander meetings. They also agree to add two border military hotline channels in the Eastern and Middle sectors. The measures are designed to improve communication between military authorities and reduce the risk of escalation.
The roadmap also covers trans-border cooperation. India welcomes China's efforts to increase the number of batches of Indian pilgrims visiting Mount Gang Renpoche and Lake Mapam Yun Tso in China's Xizang Autonomous Region. Both sides also welcome the reopening of three designated border trading points and agree to expand cooperation in border trade, pilgrimage and related activities.
Another important area is cooperation on trans-border rivers. India and China agree to convene the next meeting of the Expert-Level Mechanism on Trans-border Rivers in September and continue discussions on issues including hydrological data sharing and renewal of relevant memorandums of understanding.
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The latest agreement reflects a continued effort by New Delhi and Beijing to stabilise bilateral relations after years of tensions following the 2020 border crisis. Recent high-level engagement has focused on maintaining peace along the border while gradually rebuilding broader diplomatic and economic ties.
The two countries agree to hold the 26th round of Special Representatives' talks in India in 2027, providing another platform to advance discussions on the boundary question.
Overall, the eight-point roadmap represents a significant effort to strengthen communication, border management and confidence-building mechanisms between India and China. By combining renewed boundary negotiations with additional military hotlines, commander-level meeting points, trade cooperation and dialogue on trans-border rivers, both countries seek to preserve stability along the LAC while continuing efforts toward a long-term boundary settlement.