They discussed resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra pilgrimage, data sharing on trans-border rivers, and direct flights between India and China
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met with Member of Communist Party of China (CPC) Political Bureau and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro on Monday (November 18, 2024). The two leaders discussed the next steps in the bilateral ties while noting the progress of disengagement in the India-China border areas.

“On the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rio, met CPC Politburo member and FM Wang Yi of China. We noted the progress in the recent disengagement in the India-China border areas. And exchanged views on the next steps in our bilateral ties. Also discussed the global situation,” EAM Jaishankar said on social media platform X on Tuesday (November 19, 2024).

Among the “next steps” discussed by the two sides during the meeting was the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra as well as direct flights between India and China. Data sharing on trans-border rivers and media exchanges also figured in the talks, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) later said.

“The Ministers recognized that the disengagement in our border areas had contributed to the maintenance of peace and tranquility. The discussions focused on the next steps in India-China relations. It was agreed that a meeting of the Special Representatives and of the Foreign Secretary-Vice Minister mechanism will take place soon,” the MEA stated.

Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri announced a major breakthrough on October 22, 2024, following several weeks of intense negotiations between Indian and Chinese officials. He said both sides had reached an agreement a day earlier on patrolling arrangements on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) on the India-China border, leading to disengagement. 

On November 2, 2024, the MEA confirmed that “verification patrolling “ had commenced in the Demchok and Depsang areas of Eastern Ladakh's border areas as part of the disengagement agreement.

Meeting on the margins of the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia on October 23, 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping agreed that the Special Representatives on the India-China boundary question would meet at an early date to oversee the management of peace & tranquility in border areas and to explore a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution to the boundary question. The relevant dialogue mechanisms at the level of Foreign Ministers and other officials will also be utilized to stabilize and rebuild bilateral relations, they decided.

EAM Jaishankar referred to this meeting during his talks with the Chinese Foreign Minister in Rio de Janeiro, and said, “In Kazan, our leaders reached a consensus on taking next steps on our relationship, bearing in mind the understanding of 21 October. I am glad to note that on the ground, the implementation of that understanding has proceeded as planned”.

“Our leaders have directed that the Foreign Ministers and the Special Representatives should meet at an early date. Some progress, some discussions have happened in that direction,” he added.

In June 2020, a tense standoff between Indian and Chinese troops in Eastern Ladakh had led to a violent face-off in the Galwan Valley. Twenty Indian soldiers had lost their lives. A large number of Chinese troops were also killed though China has never officially confirmed the actual number of deaths.
 
Multiple rounds of talks at the military and diplomatic levels gradually led to a disengagement at several locations but the subsequent meetings did not see announcements of fresh disengagement along the last remaining friction points along LAC in the Western Sector in the Eastern Ladakh region until October this year.