India’s New Envoy to China Holds Talks on Border, Bilateral Ties

Beijing: India’s newly appointed ambassador to China, Vikram Doraiswami, held an introductory meeting with Hou Yanqi to discuss developments along the India-China border and the broader state of bilateral relations.

According to the Embassy of India in Beijing, the meeting took place on Thursday and focused on maintaining positive momentum in ties between the two neighbouring countries.

“The two sides had a productive exchange of views on developments related to the India-China border areas and reviewed the positive momentum in bilateral relations,” the embassy said in a post on X.

The discussions also highlighted the importance of using existing diplomatic mechanisms to further strengthen engagement between the two nations.

“Both sides agreed to leverage established mechanisms to implement the vision of the two leaders towards a stable and mutually beneficial relationship,” the statement added.

Doraiswami, a 1992-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, formally assumed charge as India’s envoy to China earlier this month. He presented his credentials to the Chinese Foreign Ministry on May 8, a ceremonial process that officially authorises a diplomat to begin functioning as ambassador.

His appointment comes at a significant time in India-China relations, which have been under strain since the military standoff in eastern Ladakh began in April 2020. The prolonged border tensions lasted nearly four years and severely impacted diplomatic and economic engagement between the two countries.

In recent months, however, both sides have taken steps to stabilise ties and restore normal diplomatic exchanges. Efforts are currently underway to resume visa services, direct flight operations, and broader people-to-people exchanges as part of the ongoing normalisation process.