India and China’s 23rd round of talks in Beijing, at the level of Special Representative, appeared to have gone off smoothly. Meeting after a gap of nearly five years, NSA Ajit Doval and Foreign Minister Wang Yi were more focused about about setting the broad framework which would decide how it would roll out on the ground.
To begin with, India was clear that this was about stabilising the relationship after the Galwan clash, a point reiterated in the External Affairs Ministry’s readout issued at the end of the talks.
Therefore, the references to peace and tranquillity on the border, exploring an equitable settlement to the boundary dispute while ensuring the political dialogue continued.
What exactly the two leaders envisage in terms of border management and how it will improve from what was practiced until Galwan, will take some time to emerge.
China by its action of tearing up all agreements signed since the 1990s, has put a huge question mark over how the border will be handled. Or does it want the border handled in a manner that only adds to uncertainty. We don’t know.
And there were takeaways on the form of resumption of the Mansarovar Yatra stopped in the wake of Covid and never resumed by China. Another takeaway was resumed data-sharing by China on the water levels on the upper reaches of the Brahmaputra and then border trade at Nathu-La in Sikkim.
For China, the deal on the border reflects interests elsewhere. It wants the Indian flank quiet at a time when Donald Trump has threatened to make life for them difficult with tariffs and so on.
The concessions such as resuming the Mansarovar Yatra and so on are small, they cost China really nothing but makes for goodwill.
Going forward, they can be expected to make concessions on border management but these can just as easily be dumped. They’ve done it in the past and can do so again
