India, China Hold Fresh Talks on Border Dispute Amid Signs of Thaw in Ties

India and China have held new rounds of talks over their long-running border dispute, the Chinese Defence Ministry said on Wednesday, signalling continued efforts by both sides to stabilize relations after years of tension.

At a press briefing in Beijing, the ministry said that the two militaries engaged in “active and in-depth communication” on the control and management of the western section of the border.

“Both sides agreed to continue to maintain communication and dialogue through military and diplomatic channels,” the ministry said, according to Reuters.

An official statement from India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is still awaited.

Renewed Engagement After Years of Strain

The talks come as relations between New Delhi and Beijing show tentative signs of improvement after being severely strained for five years following the 2020 Galwan Valley clash, which left soldiers dead on both sides and froze high-level engagement.

In recent months, both countries have taken steps to normalize ties amid global economic uncertainty and growing tariff tensions with the United States under President Donald Trump.

Earlier this week, direct flights between the two nations resumed after a long hiatus. IndiGo Airlines operated the first flight from Kolkata to Guangzhou, marking a milestone in restoring people-to-people and business connections. The Chinese Embassy in New Delhi hailed the move as a “major step forward” in bilateral relations.

Modi–Xi Meeting in Tianjin

Adding to the diplomatic momentum, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited China earlier this year to attend the SCO Summit 2025 in Tianjin — his first visit to the country in several years. On the sidelines of the summit, Modi held bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Xi praised the renewed dialogue between the two Asian powers, calling for the “dragon and elephant to come together” in pursuit of regional stability and mutual growth.

The latest border discussions and diplomatic outreach suggest that both countries are seeking to gradually rebuild trust, even as differences remain over troop deployments and territorial claims along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).