China, India hold border talks, agree to continue search for boundary settlement

China and ​India agreed on Tuesday to continue ​dialogue and seek a "fair, ‌reasonable and mutually ​acceptable settlement" of their border issue after talks between senior diplomats in Beijing. The world's two most ‌populous nations, both nuclear powers, share a roughly 3,800-km (2,400-mile), largely undemarcated and disputed border in the Himalayas. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval ‌had "comprehensive, in-depth, friendly and candid" discussions on border affairs and bilateral ties, China's ‌foreign ministry said in a statement. Wang said China-India relations were no longer only of bilateral importance but carried global and strategic significance, saying the two neighbours should strengthen communication and ⁠reduce their differences. Ties ​between Beijing and ⁠New Delhi have gradually improved in recent years following a deadly 2020 border clash, which ⁠led to a four-year military standoff before a disengagement agreement was reached in October 2024. Last ​year Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited China for the first time ⁠in seven years, in a sign of a thaw in relations. More recently, a fresh border-related ⁠dispute ​triggered sharp diplomatic exchanges between the two rivals. "Both sides should learn from historical experience, place the border issue in an appropriate position in bilateral ⁠relations, and move forward without stagnation, regression, or deviation," Wang was quoted as telling ⁠Doval at Tuesday's ⁠meeting. The two countries have agreed to hold the next round of border talks in India in 2027, the Chinese ‌statement added.