WANG XIAOYING/CHINA DAILY

Global Times-From August 18 to 20, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Minister of Foreign Affairs and China's Special Representative on the China-India boundary question Wang Yi will visit India and hold the 24th Round of Talks Between the Special Representatives of China and India on the Boundary Question at the invitation of the Indian side - a clear sign that bilateral ties are steadily warming. 

The visit reflects proactive engagement at a high political level and a rational choice by both sides to pursue shared interests amid a complex global environment.

Recent developments point to a pragmatic reset. Authorities are expediting visa facilitation; talks on resuming direct flights are reportedly underway; the two sides are discussing resuming border trade of domestic goods; multiple friction points along the Line of Actual Control have seen disengagement with reinforced buffer arrangements; and both the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) and the Talks Between the Special Representatives of China and India on the Boundary Question have become regularized. Together, these steps show that both countries are prioritizing stability and embracing a practical approach of "managing differences while expanding common ground." 

Several factors explain why relations are improving now. First, profound shifts in the international landscape have heightened the shared desire for multipolarity and strategic autonomy, particularly regarding BRICS cooperation. With supply chains being reconfigured and geopolitical flashpoints multiplying, major Asian economies are seeking to reduce bloc-based risks and preserve policy flexibility. 

Second, structural complementarities and mutual security concerns create intrinsic momentum. As two large economies with complementary markets, China and India have significant opportunities to collaborate in manufacturing ecosystems, the digital economy, green transition, public health and poverty reduction. 

Third, regional and multilateral platforms provide responsibility and traction. Frameworks such as BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the G20 enable the two countries to coordinate on development priorities. Practical collaboration amplifies the voice of the Global South and prevents differences from diluting broader cooperation. 

Crucially, a stable border is foundational for regional development; any escalation raises costs and constrains cooperation. Wang Yi's visit for boundary talks at this juncture carries substantive weight. The boundary question is central to the relationship and underpins further progress. 

Peace and tranquility along the border serve as a stabilizing force for bilateral ties. Before a final settlement is reached, keeping the situation within a controllable range - avoiding misjudgment and spillover - is essential to overall stability. Moreover, incremental breakthroughs in boundary negotiations act as a catalyst for upgrading cooperation. 

Experience shows that once verifiable de-escalation is achieved on the ground, opportunities emerge in customs facilitation, flight resumption, pilot openings at border ports and even supply-chain coordination - prompting a shift from caution to implementation. Aligning technical progress in boundary talks with greater political trust and more substantial economic cooperation is, therefore, both sound policy design and a practical pathway toward a mature, stable relationship.

For both countries, the first dividend is security: it is conducive to promoting bilateral economic cooperation, solving existing problems that affect cooperation, and further deepening bilateral investment and trade. 

Together, China and India account for roughly 2.8 billion people. Expanding cooperation in lower-sensitivity areas of supply chains, cross-border e-commerce, healthcare, clean energy and connectivity can boost jobs and investment while enhancing regional supply-chain resilience and efficiency. In the fields of technological and green transition synergy, complementarities in digital infrastructure, renewables, energy storage and electric mobility offer practical avenues for aligning projects and standards. 

Most importantly, the gradual improvement of bilateral relations is conducive to increasing mutual trust.

From a broader perspective, repairing and upgrading China-India relations has significance that goes well beyond the bilateral track. For Asia, more stable China-India ties help buffer external shocks, improve the effectiveness of multilateral institutions, and strengthen the region's ability to shape global governance. A genuine Asian renaissance requires the two largest emerging economies to provide public goods for regional peace and development jointly.

At the same time, the boundary question is a historical, complex and long-term issue. Positive momentum is hard-won and must be carefully sustained. This calls for combining political guidance with institutionalized management, maintaining a long-term strategic view, broadening shared interests to deepen mutual trust, strengthening public support through practical cooperation and advancing solutions through effective management of differences. Only then can China-India relations move forward steadily and become both an anchor and a driver for Asia's peace, stability and prosperity.