Minister of State for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh, informed the Lok Sabha that multiple diplomatic efforts have been undertaken over the years to resolve the long-standing boundary dispute between India and China. These efforts have included bilateral dialogues, formal negotiations, and high-level diplomatic exchanges.
In response to a specific query regarding territorial occupation during the Sino-Indian War of 1962, Singh clarified that following the conclusion of the conflict, China had come into what he termed “illegal occupation” of approximately 38,000 square kilometers of Indian territory. This information was provided in a written reply during a parliamentary session.
Singh highlighted that the Government of India has consistently pursued diplomatic channels to address the issue. He noted that after the visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Huang Hua to New Delhi in June 1981, the two countries initiated formal border talks, conducting eight rounds of negotiations at the secretary level between December 1981 and November 1987.
A major development occurred during the visit of then-Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi to China from December 19 to 23, 1988, when both sides agreed to establish the India-China Joint Working Group specifically to tackle the boundary question. Between 1989 and 2005, this group met fifteen times to facilitate discussions and explore solutions.
Further progress was marked during the official visit of then-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to China in June 2003. It was during this visit that India and China agreed to appoint Special Representatives (SRs) tasked with examining the boundary issue from a broader political and bilateral perspective. Following the first five rounds of SR-level talks, both nations signed an agreement on April 11, 2005, titled the "Agreement on Political Parameters and Guiding Principles for Settlement of the India-China Boundary Question."
Subsequent to this agreement, ten additional rounds of discussions were held up to 2012, culminating in a shared consensus that was formalized as the "Common Understanding of the Discussions between the Special Representatives of India and China on the Framework of Settlement of the Boundary Question" in December 2012. Singh added that eight further rounds of SR talks took place after that, with the most recent round being held in Beijing on December 18, 2024.
These statements reflect a long-term, sustained diplomatic effort by successive Indian governments to resolve territorial disputes with China, even though a final resolution remains elusive.
