ThePrint CutTheClutter: Doval-Wang Yi meet:Rebuilding India-China ties with return to 2005 deal, de-escalation &border talks
Aug 20, 2025
India and China are rekindling their diplomatic ties by revisiting the 2005 agreement on boundary issues. Recent high-level talks have set the stage for de-escalation and cooperation. The discussions emphasize the historical complexity of their relationship and the urgent need for peace initiatives. Key negotiations are aimed at addressing border tensions while exploring collaborative solutions. The evolving dynamics reflect both nations' willingness to tackle challenges together and build a more stable future.
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High-Level SR Mechanism Restored
- India and China use special representatives at cabinet rank to negotiate the boundary, raising talks to very high political levels.
- Wang Yi and Ajit Doval met in the 24th SR round as powerful interlocutors to manage the fraught India-China relationship.
Three Years To Disengage After Galwan
- The 23rd SR meeting occurred in December 2024 and the 24th followed amid continuing troop presence after 2020 clashes.
- Shekhar Gupta recounts the 2020 Galwan clashes and subsequent painful three-year disengagement process.
De-Escalation vs Disengagement
- Disengagement differs from de-escalation: disengagement separates troops, de-escalation removes heavy weapons from forward deployment.
- The recent MEA readout explicitly includes modalities for de-escalation, a significant shift from mere troop separation.