India and China to Hold First Border Meeting in Five Years
In a significant development signaling a potential thaw in relations, China has announced a high-level meeting with India regarding their long-standing border disputes. This meeting, set for Wednesday in Beijing, will be the first of its kind in five years and involves Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. The discussions will focus on the 'China-India border issue' and are part of a bilateral mechanism established in 2003 to address border concerns.
The last meeting of this nature occurred in December 2019, highlighting the prolonged period of tension between the two nations. The announcement comes after New Delhi reported reaching an agreement with Beijing in October regarding patrols in disputed areas, which was further discussed during a recent meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the BRICS summit.
The India-China border stretches approximately 3,500 kilometers and has been a source of conflict, including a deadly clash in 2020 that resulted in the deaths of at least 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese soldiers. Both countries have accused each other of attempting to encroach on territory along the unofficial high-altitude border.
