The People's Liberation Army's (PLA) holds drills in August 2017 amid Doklam tensions. China and India held the 21st round of border talks on Saturday, which helped consolidate bilateral ties. Photo: 81.cn





Following the first border talks held in China since last year's Doklam standoff, China and India said that they reached "important consensus" and pledged to implement the consensus to maintain border peace, according to a statement released by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday.



During the meeting Saturday, representatives from China and India exchanged views on bilateral relations and issues of shared concern. Both sides agreed to reach a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution to border disputes as soon as possible, according to the statement. Before a final settlement to the border disputes is reached, the two countries are dedicated to maintaining peace and tranquility at the border.



The 21st round of talks between Chinese and Indian special representatives on boundary issues was co-chaired by Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province.



It was the first such meeting held in China after the Doklam standoff soured bilateral ties since June 2017. The 20th round of talks was held in New Delhi in December last year.



"Euphemisms for disagreements or divergences do not appear in the ministry's statement. The language of the statement indicates the border talks have made significant progress and bilateral relations are back on track," Qian Feng, a research fellow at the National Strategy Institute of Tsinghua University, told the Global Times on Sunday.



Zhao Gancheng, director of the South Asia Studies Department at the Shanghai Institute for International Studies, told the Global Times on Sunday that the latest border talks show "the two countries no longer see each other as an enemy and are willing to strengthen cooperation in maintaining tranquility at the border."



Since the Doklam standoff, various exchanges aimed at improving China-India relations have taken place, including the informal summit in April between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.



Hotlines between the two countries' defense ministries and between border forces of neighboring military regions have been set up.



China's Ministry of National Defense announced on October 25 that the 7th annual "Hand-in-Hand" military exercise, which was suspended last year, will be revived later this year.



Such efforts could help prevent an escalation of disputes or conflicts if they occur, said Qian.



Events such as the Doklam standoff severely dented the bilateral ties and both sides are determined not to escalate such disputes which can jeopardize the hard-won agreements reached by now, said Zhao.



The latest round of talks reiterated the need for expansion of border trade and people-to-people exchanges to create a good atmosphere for border negotiations.



"Where there are more merchants, there will be fewer soldiers," Qian said, stressing the influence of non-governmental ties on easing tensions and improving bilateral relations.



Since China and India resumed border trade via Nathu La Pass in 2006, trade volume has increased by nearly 100 times, the Xinhua News Agency reported on October 30.



However, border trade in the region is still limited as a result of the mountainous topography and cold weather, Zhao explained.



Since trade-related infrastructure cannot be improved overnight, border trade will see a slow growth instead of a surge, he said.



"Border trade should be paid greater attention since it not only eases the tensions, but also benefits both countries in the long run, Qian said, expecting detailed measures to be taken after the border talks.