China says border dispute with India complicated, ready to discuss delimitation

China on Monday said that the longstanding boundary dispute with India is “complicated” and will take time to resolve. However, it expressed readiness to hold discussions on delimiting the border and maintaining peace in the border areas.

The statement came in response to remarks made by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh during his meeting with Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun on June 26 in Qingdao, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ conclave.

During the bilateral talks, Singh proposed that India and China work towards resolving the “complex issues” under a structured roadmap. He called for steps to de-escalate tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and a rejuvenation of existing mechanisms to demarcate the border.

When asked to comment on Rajnath Singh’s remarks, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning on Monday said that the two countries have already established the Special Representatives (SRs) mechanism and agreed on the “Political Parameters and Guiding Principles” for a boundary settlement.

“The boundary question is complicated, and it takes time to settle it,” Mao told reporters in Beijing regarding the apparent delay in resolving the issue despite 23 rounds of SR-level talks.

However, Mao noted that “the positive side is that the two countries have already established mechanisms at various levels for thorough communication.”

“China stands ready to maintain communication with India on issues including delimitation negotiation and border management, jointly keep the border areas peaceful and tranquil, and promote cross-border exchange and cooperation,” Mao said reiterating China’s readiness to continued dialogue.

The 23rd round of the SR-level talks between India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was held in December last year, marking the first such engagement since the 2020 border frictions in eastern Ladakh.

At that meeting, both sides positively affirmed the implementation of the October 2024 disengagement agreement, which enabled patrolling and grazing activities in the relevant areas.

In Qingdao, Singh emphasised the need to create “good neighbourly conditions” and called for “action on the ground” to bridge the trust deficit stemming from the 2020 standoff. He also briefed Dong on the recent Pahalgam terror attack and India’s Operation Sindoor targeting terror networks in Pakistan.

When asked whether a resolution timeline could be expected, Mao responded, “We hope that India will work with China in the same direction, continue to stay in communication on relevant issues and jointly keep the border areas peaceful and tranquil.”

The Singh-Dong meeting is seen as part of ongoing efforts by both sides to reset bilateral ties and stabilise the situation along the LAC in eastern Ladakh following the 2020 tensions.

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With PTI inputs