BEIJING, August 24 (HS/RIA Novosti) - Special representatives from China and India will hold their 25th meeting on border issues in Beijing on August 25, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Monday.

As agreed between the two sides, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, and China’s Special Representative on the Boundary Question Between China and India Wang Yi will co-chair the 25th Round of Talks Between the Special Representatives on the Boundary Question with India’s Special Representative and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval in Beijing on August 25, Lin told a briefing.

There has been a long-standing territorial dispute between India and China over nearly 60,000 square kilometers (23,166 square miles) of land along the border of India's northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, as well as a section of mountainous territory in northern Kashmir. The Line of Actual Control, which serves as the border between the countries in this region, runs through the highland region of Ladakh. In the fall of 1962, the dispute escalated into a border war.

A new escalation of conflict in Ladakh occurred in May 2020, when a series of clashes between the militaries of China and India occurred in the Galwan River area, after which New Delhi and Beijing increased their military presence in the region. In February 2021, most of the troops moved to the region were withdrawn, and the parties continued negotiations. In September 2022, India and China carried out a new stage of troop withdrawal on the border, but failed to resolve all issues.

In October 2024, New Delhi and Beijing reached an agreement on patrolling procedures along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh. India and China had reportedly completed the disengagement of troops in the region.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Indrani Sarkar