India-China talks: ‘Structural differences have not disappeared,’ says Chinese strategic affairs scholar - The Hindu

**India‑China Strategic Dialogues Continue Amid Persistent Structural Gaps**

New Delhi and Beijing have stepped up diplomatic activity in the weeks preceding a likely visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is expected to travel to India with a large delegation—the first such high‑level engagement in seven years. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval met Vice‑President Han Zheng in New Delhi and later travelled to Beijing for talks with Foreign Minister Wang Yi, underscoring both sides’ willingness to keep communication channels open on the long‑standing border dispute. These meetings come as the two capitals prepare for the next round of the Special Representatives Mechanism (SRM) talks, which aim to resolve the Line of Actual Control (LAC) standoff that flared after the 2020 Galwan Valley clash.

Amid the diplomatic flurry, Chinese strategic‑affairs scholar **Dr. Cheng Jinghe** (Institute of International Relations, China) cautioned that “the structural differences between India and China have not disappeared.” He highlighted fundamental divergences in strategic outlooks, such as China’s emphasis on a *sector‑by‑sector* approach to boundary settlement versus India’s long‑standing demand for an *all‑sector* resolution that would freeze the entire LAC. Dr. Cheng also pointed to broader geopolitical frictions—including competing infrastructure projects in the Himalayas, divergent positions on the Indo‑Pacific, and mutual distrust over the status of Tibet and Aksai Chin—that continue to shape each country’s negotiating posture.

India, while signalling openness to dialogue, has reiterated its commitment to the all‑sector settlement principle, a stance that has become a litmus test for any substantive progress. Analysts note that Doval’s recent overtures to Han Zheng and Wang Yi are aimed at extracting concessions on this point without compromising India’s core security concerns. If Xi’s visit materialises, it could either provide a platform for a breakthrough or reinforce the existing impasse, depending on whether Beijing is prepared to accommodate India’s demand for a comprehensive settlement rather than a piecemeal, sectoral one. The outcome of the upcoming talks will likely determine the trajectory of the bilateral relationship for the next decade.