Ajit Doval Heads To China Ahead Of BRICS Summit: What We Know

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval is set to visit Beijing on August 24-25 for the 25th round of India-China Special Representatives (SR) talks on the boundary dispute, at a time when both countries are attempting a gradual reset in ties.

Doval is expected to hold discussions with Chinese Foreign Minister and Politburo member Wang Yi on the border issue as well as the broader bilateral relationship.

The visit comes ahead of the BRICS Summit in September, where Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to travel to India. If confirmed, it would be Xi’s first visit to India in seven years and could include talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Why The Talks Matter

The Special Representatives’ dialogue, established in 2003, is aimed at finding a political solution to the long-running India-China boundary dispute. The process covers a disputed border stretching over 3,488 km and has seen limited progress over the years.

Relations between the two countries deteriorated sharply after the 2020 Galwan Valley clash and the prolonged military standoff in eastern Ladakh. High-level engagement remained largely frozen for nearly five years before the talks resumed in December 2024 with the 23rd round in Beijing, followed by the 24th round in New Delhi in August 2025.

Doval’s upcoming visit marks his first trip to Beijing for the SR-level talks since the dialogue restarted.

Border Management And Delimitation In Focus

The upcoming meeting is expected to review the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and assess progress made after earlier agreements.

The visit follows a meeting between officials of both countries on August 6 under the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on border affairs. During the meeting, both sides reviewed the border situation and held discussions on “boundary delimitation, border management, mechanism-building and trans-border cooperation”, according to an official statement.

At the previous SR talks in August 2025, India and China agreed on the need to take a broader political approach towards ties while working towards a “fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable framework” for settling the boundary question.

The discussions are linked to the 2005 Agreement on Political Parameters and Guiding Principles for Settlement of the India-China Boundary Question, which marked the completion of the first stage of the boundary settlement process.

Recent references to “boundary delimitation” suggest that both sides may explore limited agreements in some areas before reaching a final settlement.

Possible Xi Visit Adds Significance

Doval’s talks are also being watched in the context of a possible visit by Xi Jinping to India for the BRICS Summit.

The two leaders last met at the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, in October 2024, which helped restart efforts towards improving relations. They later met at the SCO Summit in Tianjin, where both sides “welcomed the positive momentum and steady progress in bilateral relations”.

They also said India and China were “development partners and not rivals” and that differences should not turn into disputes.

Signs Of Cautious Normalisation

The border talks come amid efforts to restore some stability in ties. India and China have resumed direct flights, eased some visa restrictions, restarted the Kailash-Mansarovar pilgrimage and reopened border trade routes through Nathu La Pass in Sikkim and Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand.

However, the boundary dispute remains the biggest challenge in the relationship. Doval’s meeting with Wang Yi will indicate whether the recent improvement in ties can translate into meaningful progress on border negotiations.