ThePrint asks:
Is it possible to break the India-China border talks deadlock?
The 20th Special Representatives talks between Yang Jiechi and Ajit Doval are on. This is the first such interaction between India and China after the Doklam incident. They had met briefly during the BRICS NSAs’ meeting earlier in July 2017, when the incident was on.
There is a feeling that the Special Representative talks are not making any headway even after 19 rounds of talks. This feeling may be misplaced. The Special Representative talks are confidential in nature, and therefore, the progress made in these talks is not in the public domain. This confidentiality has led to speculation on the progress of these talks, and the feeling that no progress has been made.
One of the former NSAs has said that the technical work regarding the India-China boundary issue has been done. Therefore, the Special Representative talks seem to have been useful, and it may not be correct to say that the two special representatives are talking past each other. Even during the Doklam incident, diplomatic communications were on. Therefore, it is again conjecture that the border talks are deadlocked.
Here are other sharp perspectives on the question:
Harsh V. Pant, Professor of International Relations, King’s College London
Ankit Panda, senior editor, The Diplomat
This round of Special Representative talks is being held amidst reports that the Chinese troops are staying through the winter somewhere in the Doklam area. One needs to keep in mind that the Doklam area is a disputed territory between China and Bhutan.
Though Doklam may figure in the talks, it is likely that the talks may cover a wider range of the India-China boundary issue and bilateral relations. Therefore, it is time to wait for the outcome of these talks and not speculate. The India-China boundary issue is a complicated one, and both India and China have the maturity and sagacity to resolve it through talks.
Lt Gen. (Retd) S.L. Narasimhan is member, National Security Advisory Board, and Distinguished Fellow, Centre for Air Power Studies. His areas of expertise are China, strategy, international relations, and military subjects. Narasimhan did M.Sc. in Defence Studies from Madras University. Follow him on Twitter @narasimhansl