China and India agree to maintain peace in border areas

China and India have agreed to maintain peace in their border areas. The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced this after high-level border talks in Beijing.

The two countries reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining peace and tranquility on the Himalayan border and to resolving the border issue in a fair and mutually acceptable manner. An eight-point agreement was reached at the end of the talks.

According to the agreement:

* Two more points will be established for commander-level meetings on border issues.

* Two new military "hotlines" will be established in the eastern and central parts of the border.

* Two working groups will be formed to advance border delimitation and management issues.

* It was agreed to develop cross-border trade and travel, and to create an atmosphere of dialogue, peace and cooperation in the border areas.

* The parties will hold the next round of expert-level talks on transboundary rivers in September and continue to discuss the exchange of hydrological data and the renewal of relevant memoranda.

The talks were attended by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. The Himalayan border between the two countries has been a long-standing dispute.

Earlier, it was reported that Chinese President Xi Jinping may attend the BRICS summit in New Delhi in September, his first visit to India in seven years. India will host the summit on September 12-13. The two countries have been in a military standoff for several years after clashes on the Himalayan border in 2020, and reached an agreement to separate forces in October 2024.