India and China have shared a complicated relationship for decades. They are neighbours, major Asian powers and important trading partners, but their ties have also been shaped by long-running disagreements over territory and security.
Now, the relationship is showing signs of another shift. On 25 August 2026, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held the 25th round of boundary talks in Beijing, with both sides agreeing to continue work towards a political settlement.
But this latest engagement comes after decades of wars, border standoffs and diplomatic ups and downs. What happened between the two neighbours, and how did their relationship reach this point?
1950s: Friendship Starts, But Tensions Build
India established diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China on 1 April 1950. The early relationship was shaped by Panchsheel, the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, and the idea of cooperation between two newly independent Asian countries.
But the border was never clearly settled.
Tensions increased after China established control over Tibet and India gave asylum to the Dalai Lama in 1959.
The two countries then moved towards their biggest confrontation.
1962: The War That Changed Everything
In October 1962, India and China fought a border war.
The conflict centred on disputed territory in Aksai Chin in the west and the area India administers as Arunachal Pradesh in the east.
China retained control of Aksai Chin, while India continued to administer Arunachal Pradesh.
The conflict left a deep political and military mistrust between the two countries.
But the border would see more clashes.
1967 To 1987: More Clashes, Then A Diplomatic Reset
In 1967, Indian and Chinese troops clashed at Nathu La and Cho La in Sikkim.
In 1975, four Indian soldiers were killed in an incident at Tulung La in Arunachal Pradesh. It was the last fatal India-China border incident until 2020.
Diplomatic relations gradually improved. India and China restored ambassadorial relations in 1976.
A major breakthrough came in 1988, when Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi visited China. The two sides began building a system of talks and agreements designed to keep the unresolved border dispute from destroying the wider relationship.
1993 To 2005: Agreements Try To Keep The Peace
The two countries signed a series of agreements.
In 1993, they agreed to maintain peace and tranquillity along the LAC.
In 1996, they signed another agreement covering military confidence-building measures.
In 2003, they created the Special Representatives mechanism to look at the boundary dispute from a broader political perspective.
Then, in 2005, India and China agreed on political parameters and guiding principles for a future boundary settlement.
These agreements did not solve the border dispute. Instead, they created rules for managing it.
That distinction became important in the years that followed.
2013 To 2017: Standoffs Return
In 2013, Indian and Chinese troops faced a three-week standoff at Depsang in Ladakh. The confrontation ended through negotiations without a military clash.
In 2014, another standoff occurred at Chumar in Ladakh, during Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to India.
The countries also continued to disagree over Arunachal Pradesh. China has claimed parts of Arunachal Pradesh, while India has consistently rejected the claim and maintained that the region is an integral part of India.
Then came Doklam in 2017.
Indian and Chinese troops faced each other for 73 days after Chinese personnel began road construction in the Doklam area near the India-Bhutan-China trijunction.
India said the construction would change the status quo and have security implications for India.
The standoff ended through diplomatic negotiations.
Despite the tensions, Modi and Xi continued meeting. They held an informal summit in Wuhan in 2018 and another in Mamallapuram in 2019, with both sides stressing the need to prevent differences from becoming disputes.
2020: Galwan Changes The Relationship
In 2020, the confrontation triggered the biggest crisis in India-China relations in decades.
Indian and Chinese troops faced off at several points in eastern Ladakh. On 15 June 2020, troops from both sides clashed in the Galwan Valley.
Twenty Indian soldiers were killed. China later acknowledged four military deaths.
The confrontation led to a prolonged military standoff, with both countries deploying large numbers of troops and equipment along the LAC.
And the consequences went beyond the border.
Why TikTok Became Part Of The India-China Dispute
On 29 June 2020, India blocked 59 mobile applications, including TikTok, WeChat, UC Browser, ShareIt and Helo.
The government said the apps were prejudicial to India's sovereignty and integrity, defence, security and public order.
India later blocked another 118 apps in September 2020 and 43 more in November 2020.
The ban became one of the most visible signs of the deterioration in India-China relations beyond the border dispute.
The deterioration in ties also affected wider economic and technology-related engagement between the two countries.
2022: Another Clash In Arunachal Pradesh
In December 2022, Indian and Chinese troops clashed in the Yangtse area of Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh.
Indian authorities said troops from the Chinese side attempted to cross the LAC and were confronted by Indian forces.
The incident did not develop into a prolonged standoff like Galwan, but it showed that tensions were not limited to Ladakh.
China also continued to assert claims over Arunachal Pradesh.
In April 2023, China announced another list of names for places in Arunachal Pradesh. India rejected the move, saying assigning invented names would not change the status of the territory.
2024-25: Relations Begin To Move Again
After years of military and diplomatic negotiations, On 21 October 2024, India and China reached an agreement on patrolling arrangements in Depsang and Demchok.
India said the agreement led to disengagement from the remaining friction points in Depsang and Demchok.
On 23 October 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Xi Jinping met in Kazan. It was their first bilateral meeting at the delegation level in nearly five years.
The leaders agreed that boundary differences should not disturb peace and tranquillity along the border and supported using diplomatic mechanisms to stabilise relations.
The thaw continued in 2025.
Modi met Xi again in Tianjin on 31 August 2025 on the sidelines of the SCO summit. India said both leaders welcomed the positive momentum in bilateral relations.
On 10 February 2026, India and China held a Strategic Dialogue in New Delhi.
So, What Is Happening Now?
On 25 August 2026, Ajit Doval and Wang Yi held the 25th round of Special Representatives' talks in Beijing. They discussed the boundary, border management and cross-border cooperation, and agreed to continue working towards a political settlement.
China also called for a “package solution” to the boundary question, referring to the political parameters agreed by the two countries in 2005. India stressed that peace and tranquillity along the border remain important for wider ties.
Both sides noted progress on understandings reached by Modi and Xi in Kazan in 2024 and Tianjin in 2025, including the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and border trade.
The next round of talks is scheduled to take place in India in 2027.
Another potential development is Chinese President Xi Jinping's expected visit to New Delhi for the BRICS summit in September. His travel plans had not been officially confirmed as of 25 August. If he travels to India, it would be his first visit since 2019.
For now, both countries are continuing diplomatic engagement, but the boundary dispute remains unresolved. India has stressed border stability and wider engagement, while China has called for continued negotiations and a broader settlement.
TL;DR | News At a Glance
What is happening between India and China now?
India and China are trying to improve ties while continuing talks on their unresolved boundary dispute.
Why is their relationship complicated?
Their ties have been shaped by the 1962 war, repeated border standoffs, territorial disagreements and economic tensions.
What happened on 25 August 2026?
Ajit Doval and Wang Yi held the 25th round of boundary talks in Beijing and agreed to continue working towards a political settlement.
What about TikTok?
India banned TikTok and several other Chinese apps in 2020, citing security and sovereignty concerns.
What happens next?
The next round of boundary talks is scheduled to be held in India in 2027. Xi Jinping is also expected to attend the BRICS summit in New Delhi in September, although his visit has not been officially confirmed.
