Image Source: Agencies

Aug 19, 2025: National Security Advisor Ajit Doval told Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to China to attend the upcoming summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). In his televised opening remarks at a new edition of the Special Representatives' Dialogue on boundary question, Doval also highlighted the “new energy and momentum” in India-China ties as well as peace along the border.

Doval stated that there has been tranquility along the border and that bilateral engagements between the two countries have become "more substantial" in recent times. Our Prime Minister will be visiting China for the SCO summit and therefore, today's talks assume very special importance, he added.

This is the first official confirmation that Modi will be attending the summit on August 31 and September 1 in Tianjin, China. Doval hoped that the 24th Special Representatives (SR) talks will be “successful”.

The Chinese foreign minister landed in Delhi on Monday primarily to hold the SR talks with Doval.

Wang's visit is largely seen as part of ongoing efforts by the two neighbours to rebuild their relationship after it came under severe strain following the deadly Galwan Valley clashes in 2020.

In addition to reviewing the overall situation along the LAC, both parties are anticipated to discuss new confidence-building measures during the SR talks. Although the two sides have removed their troops from the points of friction, they have not yet removed their frontline troops from the border to calm the situation. Each side currently has around 50,000 to 60,000 troops along the LAC in the eastern Ladakh region.

NSA Doval travelled to China in December last and held the SR talks with Wang, weeks after Prime Minister Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping decided to revive various dialogue mechanisms between the two sides at a meeting in the Russian city of Kazan.

Beginning in May 2020, a military standoff in eastern Ladakh began, and in June of that same year, clashes at the Galwan Valley put a significant strain on bilateral ties. The face-off effectively ended following completion of the disengagement process from the last two friction points of Demchok and Depsang under an agreement finalised on October 21 last year.

In the last few months, the two sides also initiated a number of initiatives to rebuild the ties that included resumption of Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and New Delhi restarting issuance of tourist visas to Chinese nationals.