In first India-China talks post Op Sindoor, focus on stabilising ties

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Thursday met Sun Weidong, China's Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, who is on a two-day visit to India on 12-13 June 2025. Both sides have reviewed the developments in India-China bilateral relations since their last meeting in Beijing on January 27 and have agreed to continue to stabilise and rebuild ties with priority people-centric engagements.

Misri appreciated the Chinese side’s cooperation for the resumption of the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra this year. He also talked about the discussions held in the April 2025 meeting on the Expert Level Mechanism for cooperation in transborder rivers for resumption of the provision of hydrological data along with other cooperation. He hoped that significant progress would be made on them.

The two sides agreed to expedite steps involved in resuming direct air services between the two countries. While the Foreign Secretary hoped for the early conclusion of an updated Air Services Agreement, both sides further agreed to take practical steps for visa facilitation and exchanges between the media and think-tanks and positively assessed the activities planned for the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two nations and agreed to facilitate the same.

The two sides also agreed to hold certain functional dialogues, including in the economic and trade areas, to discuss and resolve specific issues of concern. Since October 2024, there have been multiple diplomatic meetings between India and China.

The 33rd meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) was held on 25 March 2025 in Beijing. The Indian delegation was led by Shri Gourangalal Das, Joint Secretary (East Asia), and the Chinese delegation was led by Hong Liang, Director General of the Boundary & Oceanic Affairs Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The ministry of external affairs released a statement stating that, “the meeting was held in a positive and constructive atmosphere. The meeting comprehensively reviewed the situation along the Line of Actual Control in the India-China border areas.”

According to MEA, India and China agreed that peace and tranquillity on the border are critical for the smooth development of overall bilateral relations and the two sides explored various measures and proposals to give effect to the decisions taken during the 23rd meeting of the Special Representatives on the India-China boundary question in Beijing in December 2024. The two sides also discussed measures to advance effective border management.

India and China have agreed to work together to make substantial preparations for the next meeting of the Special Representatives (SR), which will be held in India later this year.

There has been substantial progress along the LAC since October 2024 when both countries agreed to the resumption of patrolling in Depsang plains and Demchok. The grazing activity has also resumed in these locations, easing tensions between both countries. There have been several diplomatic meetings since October 2024 between India and China where both nations have agreed to continue dialogue for a broader resolution.