A Frank India-China Talk in an Off-track Meeting in Beijing

A quiet visit by an Indian delegation for a “first track II” dialogue to Beijing from March 31 to April 1 might have helped set the tone for improved atmospherics in India-China official exchanges as the meetings saw a focused discussion on better military-to-military communication and early resumption of exchange of data on Brahmaputra waters flowing into India.

The meeting was hosted by a prominent “independent” think tank Grand View Institution (CVI) and the Indian delegation comprised Jayadeva Ranade, head of the Centre of China Analysis and Strategy, former Army vice chief Lt Gen B S Raju and Uttam Sinha, a leading analyst on transboundary rivers who is with the Manohar Parrikar Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis (MP-IDSA).

Brahmaputra Waters

The Indian delegation put across the need for China to re-start sharing hydrological data for Brahmaputra flows it has withheld since 2022 when the border stand-off was at its peak. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) that governed the sharing of data was not renewed in June, 2025. The Chinese interlocutors responded positively to the suggestion and agreed to convey to relevant authorities which in China would include political bosses.

When Open contacted Sinha, he said the Indian delegation put across India’s concerns plainly and unambiguously. “Our concerns persist regarding flow alteration, sediment disruption, and ecological impact associated with sudden water releases, particularly in a seismically active region. These concerns endure despite Chinese emphasis on “run-of-the-river” designs. The discussion thus reflected a gap between technical assurances and India’s perceptions.”

The possibility of a military hotline was also discussed and found to be relevant in maintaining the peace on the borders since disengagement between Indian and Chinese troops in November, 2024. This had followed a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping in Kazan in Russia on October 23, 2024.

Space for India-China Cooperation

In a statement on the visit, the GVI said the dialogue focused on major and sensitive border issues and explored the space for “China-India” cooperation amid a challenging international landscape. The discussions involved former senior officials and high-ranking military officers from India’s National Security Advisory Board and Army headquarters and senior researchers from Indian think tanks.

“Participants included Rong Ying, former Vice President of the China Institute of International Studies, Wang Weiquan, Deputy Secretary-General of the Renewable Energy Committee of the China Energy Research Society, Zhou Rong, Director of the Center for Global South Studies at Grandview Institution, Shen Dingli, Director of the Center for American Studies at Grandview Institution and several experts from the military,” GVI said.

“After a difficult period, China-India relations have entered an important stage of recovery and development, with considerable room for future growth and enormous potential. The realization of long-term, stable, and positive development in China-India relations is of great significance for Asia as a whole, the Global South, and the broader system of developing countries.

Water as Political Tool

A representative associated with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), Col (retd.) Zhao Xiaozhuo, candidly informed the Indian delegation that periods of heightened political tension might result in mechanisms such as data-sharing arrangements being suspended as part of strategic pressure tactics but agreed that if the larger purpose of improving relation was kept in mind a reassessment would be useful.

“Both governments should promote more active, more open, more diverse, and more sustainable exchanges from the governmental to the people-to-people level, and explore systematic cooperation in such fields as AI, energy, and the environment through continuously deepening exchanges and mutual trust,” the GVI said.

On May 28, the ministry of external affairs issued a statement on the 35^th meeting of the working mechanism for consultation and coordination on India-China border affairs that the two sides expressed satisfaction with the progress made in maintaining peace and tranquility in border areas which has enabled progress towards gradual normalisation of bilateral ties.

Border Delimitation

“The two sides discussed issues pertaining to delimitation, border management, mechanism building and cross-border cooperation. The Indian side stressed on an early meeting of the expert level mechanism on trans-border rivers,” the MEA said. The Chinese readout of the meeting did not mention the issue of trans-border rivers but readily acknowledged that a constructive dialogue has helped maintain “lasting peace and tranquility.”

“The two sides help discussions on boundary delimitation, border management and cross-border communication and cooperation,” the Chinese statement said. Both sides agreed to work towards the 25^th round of talks between special representatives of China and India on the boundary question.