India and China Note Progress in Normalising Bilateral Relations

Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held high-level discussions in New Delhi to review bilateral ties, with both nations noting steady progress toward a gradual normalisation of relations.

Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval spoke with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday on the sidelines of a BRICS National Security Advisers’ meeting in New Delhi, India’s foreign ministry said.

Here are some details:

• India, chair of the BRICS group, is hosting a meeting of the BRICS national security advisers in New Delhi on Monday and Tuesday.

Wang Yi, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China and Beijing’s special representative on border affairs with India, is in India to attend the BRICS NSA meeting.

• India’s foreign ministry described the talks between Doval and Wang as “constructive and forward-looking”.

The interaction with Wang Yi was among a series of bilateral meetings held by Doval on the margins of the 16th BRICS NSAs’ Meeting, which India is hosting under the theme “Building Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, Doval underlined that stable, predictable and constructive bilateral relations contribute to building of trust and better understanding between the two sides.

Doval also met Iran’s Deputy Secretary for Defence Affairs at the Supreme National Security Council, Ghadir Nezamipour, with the two sides reviewing the evolving situation in West Asia and discussing cooperation under the BRICS framework as well as bilateral ties.

In separate talks with Brazil’s Secretary of Multilateral and Political Affairs Carlos Cozendey, Doval welcomed growing cooperation under BRICS and reviewed the India-Brazil relations.

The NSA also met Million Lema Tadesse, Executive Director of Analysis at Ethiopia’s National Intelligence and Security Service, with both sides exploring avenues to deepen the India-Ethiopia Strategic Partnership.

• The two leaders discussed recent developments in their relationship and ‘noted progress towards gradual normalisation’, according to the statement.

The BRICS meeting of NSAs and heads of security agencies focused on strengthening policy coordination and international cooperation, with participants discussing ways to enhance collective resilience and promote a safer and more secure world through dialogue and shared strategies.

The Doval-Wang meeting assumes significance as India and China continue efforts to rebuild trust and restore normalcy in bilateral ties following the disengagement process and renewed diplomatic engagement between the two neighbours.

• Relations between the neighbours improved in 2024, ending years of friction that began with a border clash in 2020.

India, which holds the BRICS chairmanship this year and will host the leaders’ summit in September, used the meeting to advance high-level engagement with China as relations continue to recover from the 2020 border clashes in eastern Ladakh.

The talks reflected a broader easing in relations that gathered pace following a border agreement reached in 2024. Since then, the two countries have resumed direct flights, relaxed some visa restrictions, restarted the Kailash-Mansarovar pilgrimage and made gradual progress in trade and investment cooperation.

Bilateral trade reached record levels in 2025, although India continues to face a significant trade deficit with China. The latest discussions are also seen as laying the groundwork for possible higher-level engagements, including a potential visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to India for the BRICS summit later this year.

• BRICS brings together founders, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa as well as other, more recent joiners.

Future Outlook

The diplomatic engagement between New Delhi and Beijing signals a calculated shift toward economic and regional stability. With the bilateral trade volume hitting new peaks in 2025, both nuclear-armed neighbours are incentivised to sustain peace along the Line of Actual Control. The success of these entry-level diplomatic tracks will be tested in September 2026 during the primary BRICS Leaders’ Summit, where a face-to-face meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping could formalise these normalisation efforts.

FAQs

What was the main outcome of the Doval-Wang meeting in New Delhi?

Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi characterized their discussions as constructive and forward-looking, noting clear progress toward the gradual normalisation of relations between the two countries.

When did the border friction between India and China begin to ease?

Bilateral relations began showing marked improvement in 2024 following a comprehensive border agreement, which helped resolve years of severe diplomatic and military friction stemming from the 2020 eastern Ladakh border clashes.

Which other international delegates did Indian NSA Ajit Doval meet?

Apart from the Chinese delegation, Ajit Doval held separate bilateral strategic discussions with Ghadir Nezamipour from Iran, Carlos Cozendey from Brazil, and Million Lema Tadesse from Ethiopia.

What is the theme of the BRICS NSA meeting hosted by India in 2026?

The 16th BRICS National Security Advisers’ Meeting was hosted by New Delhi under the core theme of “Building Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.”