By Zarak Khan | 2026-06-04

India and China have resumed discussions on boundary issues and cross-border cooperation, with officials from both sides describing the latest talks as constructive.

Yet analysts say deep mistrust continues to complicate efforts to stabilize relations. The distrust stems from unresolved border disputes, concerns over China's upstream river projects and growing military activity along the Himalayan frontier.

Senior officials met in Beijing on May 27 under the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on India-China Border Affairs, where the two sides discussed boundary delimitation, border management, mechanism building and cross-border cooperation, according to India's Ministry of External Affairs.

The meeting was led by Sujit Ghosh, joint secretary for East Asia in India's External Affairs Ministry, and Hou Yanqi, director general of the Boundary and Oceanic Affairs Department of China's Foreign Ministry.

India described the discussions as "constructive and forward-looking," while Beijing said they took place in a "practical and friendly atmosphere."

Both sides agreed to make substantive preparations for the next round of talks at special-representative level on the boundary question. However, analysts said the positive language masks fundamental disagreements blocking the broader normalization of ties.

India and China share a 3,380km-long border that remains undefined across long stretches and has long been a source of military and diplomatic tension.

Their troops clashed along the disputed frontier in Ladakh in 2020, leaving 20 Indian soldiers dead in the first combat fatalities along the border in 45 years.

The deadly confrontation triggered the worst crisis in Sino-Indian relations in decades and transformed New Delhi's perception of Beijing from a strategic competitor into a direct security challenge.

Water concerns

Among India's key concerns is China's growing control of trans-boundary rivers originating on the Tibetan Plateau.

The Indian External Affairs Ministry said New Delhi pressed for an early meeting of the Expert Level Mechanism on Trans-Border Rivers during the WMCC talks, underscoring concerns over hydrological data sharing and upstream Chinese infrastructure projects.

Indian policymakers have increasingly voiced concern over China's construction of dams and water diversion projects on rivers flowing into India, particularly the Brahmaputra. They fear such projects could eventually provide Beijing with significant leverage over downstream water flows.

China's official readout of the WMCC meeting, however, made no reference to trans-boundary rivers.

The issue could serve as "a test of Beijing's willingness to accommodate Indian concerns even in less contentious areas," the Wire reported May 28, summarizing the opinion of Jabin T. Jacob, director of the Center for Himalayan Studies at Shiv Nadar University in Greater Noida, India.

China's approach to the river issue may offer an indication of whether Beijing is prepared to show flexibility on more complex matters such as boundary delimitation, he said.

Naming dispute

Adding to Indian concerns, Beijing has continued issuing its own names for locations in territory claimed by India.

In April, China's Ministry of Civil Affairs released its sixth such list, renaming 23 locations in areas claimed by Beijing.

Most of the renamed sites are situated in India's Arunachal Pradesh state, which China refers to as "Zangnan" or South Tibet. Indian officials and analysts view the exercise as part of a broader effort to reinforce Chinese territorial claims through administrative measures.

The issue gained renewed attention after reports of the detaining and questioning of an Indian woman from Arunachal Pradesh during a transit stop in Shanghai last November. Chinese officials allegedly told her that her Indian passport was invalid because the state belonged to China.

The incident triggered criticism in India and renewed concerns over Beijing's position on residents of border regions.

Military buildup

Security concerns remain equally prominent.

China has significantly expanded infrastructure along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the de facto border separating the two countries, through the construction of roads, airfields, bridges, logistics hubs and dual-use facilities capable of supporting military operations.

The buildup has altered the strategic balance along the frontier and compelled India to accelerate its own infrastructure development, say analysts.

A 2024 study by the Observer Research Foundation, a New Delhi-based think tank, said China's expanding infrastructure network along the LAC, combined with its close strategic partnership with Pakistan, has "raised the real specter of a two-front war and increased India's encirclement concerns."

"China has adopted a collaborative approach to build this infrastructure, and also provided military assistance to Pakistan," the report said.

The study said concerns over "the growing encirclement of its northern territory by China" have prompted India to invest heavily in transport and logistics networks across Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir.

In January, India approved a restructuring of front-line army formations aimed at speeding deployment and strengthening its posture against China along the disputed Himalayan frontier.

New Delhi has accelerated work on the strategic Zojila Tunnel and upgrades to the Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldie road, a key military supply route near one of the most sensitive sectors of the border.