September 21, 2026 02:41 pm (IST)
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NSA Doval named special representative for border talks with China
New Delhi, Nov 24 (IBNS): Centre on Monday has named National Security Adviser Ajit Doval as a special envoy to discuss boundary issues with China.
"Ajit Doval, NSA, appointed as the special representative of India to conduct boundary negotiations and strategic consultations with China," the Prime Minister's Office said in the statement.
It has been learnt that Doval will lead the negotiations with Chinese State Councillor Yang Jiechi to try and reach a settlement on dispute over the 3,500-km border that has clouded rapidly-expanding commercial links.
In September, the two armies were locked in a faceoff in the Ladakh's Chumar sector in the western Himalayas just as Chinese President Xi Jinping was visiting India for the first summit talks with Prime Minister Modi.
Chinese border patrols have been intruding deeper into India's side of the border, in a sign of assertiveness that has fuelled concern in the region.
The two armies were also locked in a three-week standoff in May 2013 in western Himalayan region after Chinese troops set up a camp 20 km inside the Indian territory in Depsang valley in Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) sector in Ladakh.
New Delhi has vowed to beef up defences along the border to narrow the gap with China's network of roads and communication links. Beijing has expressed concern about India's plan to build roads and border outposts in Arunachal Pradesh in the east.
Modi government has begun an ambitious project to improve the infrastructure in India's border areas with China after over 300 instances of incursions by People's Liberation Army troops in the last two years.
Last week, Home Minister Rajnath Singh accused China of occupying Aksai Chin illegally and said that incursions by Chinese troops don't help the ties between the two countries.
"China has illegally occupied Aksai Chin and incursions by Chinese troops don't augur well for maintaining cordial ties," Rajnath said while addressing a rally in Leh in election-bound Jammu and Kashmir' Ladakh region.
India says China occupies 38,000 square km of its territory on the Aksai Chin plateau in the west.
It can be mentioned here that Aksai Chin, spread over about 40,000 square kilometres in Jammu and Kashmir's Ladakh region.
China on the other hand lays claim to more than 90,000 sq km disputed by New Delhi in the eastern sector of the Himalayas.
Both leaders vowed to work together to resolve the border row that has defied a solution even after 17 rounds of high level talks over the last decade.
India and China had established in 2003 the mechanism of Special Representatives to thrash out a resolution to the vexed boundary question.
The two sides have so far held 17 rounds of talks, making some progress.
The last round was held in February in Delhi between the then NSA Shivshankar Menon and Chinese State Councillor Yang Jiechi.
NSA has been known to be a close aide of Narendra Modi.
Doval is credited with solving several issues including planning key missions related to Myanmar and China related missions.
He will conduct boundary negotiations as well as strategic consultations with China, the PM's office said in a statement.
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