India, China to form special groups to 'explore delimitation' as PM Modi pushes for border peace

India and China have agreed to form two new groups to address the border issue after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held meetings with National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar during his trip to India.

While one group will be responsible for “exploring early harvest in boundary delimitation", the other will be tasked with “maintaining peace and tranquillity" in the border areas.

Yi also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his official visit to New Delhi, where the two highlighted the “steady progress” made by India and China in mending ties. PM Modi emphasised that peace and tranquillity along the India-China border are essential for the overall health of bilateral ties.

What will the groups do?

Under the framework of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC), an Expert Group will be formed to identify potential early breakthroughs in boundary delimitation. Additionally, a new Working Group will be tasked with strengthening border management and promoting continued peace and stability along the frontier.

Apart from agreeing to form the two new groups, India and China have decided to hold an in-depth exchange of views to address the border issue. Both sides emphasised the importance of adopting a long-term political perspective on the broader bilateral relationship, while working toward a fair, reasonable, and mutually acceptable framework for resolving the boundary issue, under the 2005 agreement.

New general-level mechanisms will be formed in the eastern and middle sectors of the border, in addition to the western sector. India and China have also agreed to use the existing channels of communication and plan the next round of talks.

PM Modi to visit China

PM Modi will visit China later this month to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval said on Tuesday during his talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

This will be the prime minister’s first visit to China since 2018. The SCO Summit will open on August 31 in Tianjin. “Our prime minister will be visiting for the SCO summit,” Doval said, speaking of “new energy” in diplomatic ties.

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