In yesterday’s newsletter, I looked at what India and China had to say in their separate readouts from Tuesday’s 25th round of talks between the Special Representatives, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
As I wrote, what we gleaned yesterday from the different statements left several questions unanswered.
Some of those questions have been answered today.
Both sides have released an Eight Point Consensus, listing several ambitious outcomes. The full text follows below. It has been put out by India’s MEA and by China’s MFA. As you will note, it includes a reference to talks on an “early and substantial harvest” in boundary delimitation. There are other outcomes as well, such as holding a meeting next month on trans-border rivers and setting up additional meeting points and hotlines on the border.
Here is the full text:
Eight Points of Outcomes and Consensus for the 25th round of Talks between Special Representatives of India and China on the Boundary Question
On August 25, 2026, the 25th Round of Talks between the Special Representatives (SR) of India and China on the Boundary Question was held in Beijing, China. HE Wang Yi, Special Representative of China, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, and HE Ajit Doval, Special Representative of India and National Security Adviser, had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on the India-China boundary question and reached eight points of outcomes and consensus as follows:
1. The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to uphold the guidance received from the leaders of the two countries, maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas and create an atmosphere for healthy and steady development of bilateral relations.
2. The two sides underlined their commitment to advancing negotiations on a framework for the settlement of the boundary question in accordance with the Agreement on Political Parameters and Guiding Principles for Settlement of the India-China Boundary Question signed in 2005 and the consensus reached in subsequent SR Talks in pursuit of a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution.
3. The Expert Group on Boundary Delimitation and Working Group on Border Management under the WMCC would respectively advance discussions on an Early and Substantial Harvest of boundary delimitation and Border Management. The first task for both these groups would be to agree on their respective Terms of Reference.
4. The two sides agreed that any situation on the ground would be addressed promptly through existing diplomatic and military channels, including the WMCC, local commander‑level meetings and other agreed mechanisms, to resolve outstanding issues and avoid misunderstanding and miscalculation along the LAC. The two sides discussed ways to improve understanding of LAC in appropriate areas, for better border management.
5. With the objective to improve the border management measures, an additional two meeting points were agreed for holding the General Level Mechanism/ Senior Highest Military Commander meeting (SHMC). Similarly two additional channels of border military hotline in the Eastern and Middle Sectors were agreed.
6. Both sides noted the progress on trans-border cooperation. The Indian side appreciated the efforts made by the Chinese side to increase the number of batches of Indian official pilgrimage Kailash-Manasarovar Yatra (KMY) in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. Both sides appreciated the reopening of the three designated border trading points. The two sides agreed to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in border trade, pilgrimage and other areas, with the view to work together to create an atmosphere featuring dialogue, peace, consultation and cooperation the border areas.
7. The two sides agreed to hold the next meeting of the India-China Expert-Level Mechanism on Trans-border Rivers in September and maintain communication on issues including hydrological data sharing, and renewal of the relevant MoUs.
8. The two sides agreed to hold the 26th round of SR Talks in India in 2027.
A few brief thoughts: If some thought the reference to an “early harvest” last year was unrealistic, both sides have doubled down on that ambition. We now have an “early and substantial harvest”. As Point #3 notes though, the Expert Group, which both sides agreed to set up in August 2025, will first begin with the task of agreeing terms of reference, so one would think this is a long road ahead. Point #6 on trans-border cooperation does indeed put forth a lofty ambition: “to work together to create an atmosphere featuring dialogue, peace, consultation and cooperation in the border areas.”
Thank you for reading.