‘For stability in Asia and the world’: India seeks ‘permanent solution’ to border dispute with China

India has told China that both countries must work towards a “permanent solution” to their decades-old border dispute. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh raised the issue directly with his Chinese counterpart Dong Jun during their meeting in Qingdao on Thursday. 

The conversation took place on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) defence ministers’ meeting, where Singh underlined the importance of resolving border issues through a structured process.

“Singh also stressed on border management and to have a permanent solution of border demarcation by rejuvenating the established mechanism on the issue,” the Defence Ministry said in a statement on Friday. “He emphasised the need to create good neighbourly conditions to achieve best mutual benefits as well as to cooperate for stability in Asia and the world.”

The language used by Singh marks a significant shift from India’s earlier formulation of seeking an “early resolution” to the dispute. Singh also called for efforts to rebuild trust between the two nations following the deadly 2020 border clash in the Galwan Valley.

The two nuclear powers share a 3,800-km largely undemarcated Himalayan frontier and fought a war in 1962. While the border has seen relative calm in recent decades, the June 2020 Galwan clash resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers. The incident triggered a four-year military standoff, with both sides deploying large numbers of troops in the high-altitude terrain.

Tensions began easing after a mutual step-back agreement was reached in October 2024, but full normalcy remains elusive. Singh’s meeting with Dong also resulted in an agreement to “continue consultations to achieve progress on disengagement, de-escalation, border management and eventual de-limitation,” the statement said.

China has consistently argued that the border issue should not define the broader relationship and insists differences should be managed until a negotiated settlement is reached. Both governments have recently signalled a willingness to reset ties. Earlier this month, Beijing and New Delhi agreed to fast-track the resumption of direct flights, which were suspended after the Galwan clash, and improve overall communication channels.

The SCO defence ministers’ meeting, which serves as a precursor to the annual autumn summit, did not conclude with a joint statement. India said this was due to a lack of consensus on the wording around “terrorism”.

Earlier in May, former Singaporean diplomat Kishore Mahbubani said that Asia’s future stability will depend on how New Delhi and Beijing manage their complex relationship. “The future of Asia will depend on one big question – can China and India get along? Because these are the two biggest societies. China 1.4 billion, India 1.3 billion. By 2050, India’s population will be bigger. So the two most populous countries, China and India, don’t get along, then Asia is in trouble,” Mahbubani said at a public event.

(With inputs from Reuters)