India, China to Begin Delimitation as Step Toward Final Border Demarcation

India and China have recorded forward movement on resolving their boundary dispute, with both sides agreeing to begin work on delimiting less contentious parts of the border as a step toward permanent demarcation. The agreement was reached during the 24th round of Special Representative talks between NSA Ajit Doval and visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday.

Officials said the process will follow a stepwise approach: setting up a technical expert group under the WMCC, identifying low-friction areas along the three border sectors, delimiting these tracts, and eventually marking the boundary with physical pillars. The “piecemeal” method, rather than a broad settlement, is aimed at confidence building between the two sides.

On the military front, both countries have agreed to pursue a non-offensive posture in eastern Ladakh and other sensitive sectors, including pulling back tanks, rockets, and artillery from threatening positions. This comes after disengagement in the eastern sector following the May 2020 clashes, though buffer zone issues remain unresolved.

Diplomatic sources said the moves signal intent to restore relations to the “April 2020 era,” before the Galwan crisis. The shift is seen as a follow-up to the Modi–Xi meeting on October 23, 2024, and ahead of their expected encounter at the SCO Summit in Tianjin on August 31.