National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and his Chinese counterpart state councillor Yang Jiechi began the next round of formal negotiations on the boundary issue today.


This comes almost four months after the 73-day-long military stand-off at the Doklam plateau in the tri-junction region.


In the 20th round of special representatives talks since the establishment of the Special Representatives mechanism in 2003, Doval and Jiechi are expected to discuss ways to maintain peace and tranquillity along the 4,000-km-long border.


The two representatives will also discuss the Doklam stand-off. Last Doval and Jiechi had met during the BRICS summit in Xiamen in September.


Reportedly, the decision to hold talks in the connection was taken at a meeting held last week between External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj and her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of the Russia-India-China (RIC) conference.


However, the announcement of the meeting was made by MEA on Wednesday.


"At the invitation of Ajit Doval, National Security Adviser and the Special Representative of India on the Boundary Question, Yang Jiechi, State Councillor and Member of the Politburo of Communist Party of China's Central Committee and Special Representative of China on the Boundary Question, will visit India on December 22 to hold the 20th meeting of special representatives," MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said during a media briefing.Kumar averred that the discussions will be focused on the boundary issue, adding "we, of course, attach lot of importance to this dialogue mechanism."


On Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying while addressing a media briefing said that the Doklam stand-off had posed a "major test" for bilateral ties. -- ANI