Actions key to China-India consensus

India should faithfully implement the latest eight-point consensus it reached with China on the boundary question to ensure that liaison mechanisms function properly and help avoid friction, observers said.

On Wednesday evening, the Chinese Foreign Ministry released a statement regarding the eight-point consensus reached during the 25th Round of Talks Between the Special Representatives of China and India on the Boundary Question, which took place in Beijing on Tuesday.

A major highlight of the consensus was the founding of the Expert Group on Boundary Delimitation and Working Group on Border Management under the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on China-India Border Affairs.

According to the Foreign Ministry statement, the two groups will "respectively advance discussions on an Early and Substantial Harvest of boundary delimitation and Border Management", and their first task would be to agree on their respective Terms of Reference.

Another highlight was the two sides agreeing to establish an additional two meeting points for holding the General Level Mechanism/Senior Highest Military Commander meeting. Also, two additional channels of border military hotline in the Eastern and Middle Sectors were agreed upon.

The two sides underlined their commitment to "advancing negotiations on a framework for the settlement of the boundary question", and agreed that "any situation on the ground would be addressed promptly through existing diplomatic and military channels", the statement said.

According to the Foreign Ministry, the special representatives' talks are the main channel for negotiations between China and India on the boundary question, as well as an important platform for communication on issues of mutual interest.

Lin Minwang, a professor of South Asian studies and vice-dean at Fudan University's Institute of International Studies in Shanghai, said that the eight-point consensus introduces "a slew of fresh, significant institutional arrangements to improve management and control of the border situation and resolve the boundary issue", such as the formation of the expert group on boundary delimitation.

"Both sides are trying to arrive at more substantial outcomes in tackling these issues", he said.

In reviewing the progress made on trans-border cooperation in the consensus, the Indian side appreciated the efforts made by the Chinese side to increase the number of Indian official pilgrimage groups to Mount Gang Rinpoche and Lake Mapam Yumco, the sacred mountain and lake in China's Xizang autonomous region.

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 a view to working together to create an atmosphere featuring dialogue, peace, consultation and cooperation in the border areas, the statement said.

In terms of setting new items on the calendar for further official talks, the two sides agreed to hold the 26th round of the special representative talks in India next year.

Beijing and New Delhi also agreed to hold the next meeting of the China-India Expert-Level Mechanism on Trans-border Rivers in September and maintain communication on issues including hydrological data sharing.

Lin, the Fudan University professor, said that Beijing and New Delhi should "sustain the benign, positive interactions between the two sides under these mechanisms".

In particular, the Indian side should follow through based on the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, he added.

President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met in Russia's Kazan and China's Tianjin in 2024 and 2025, respectively, reaching a series of important consensuses on the development of China-India relations.