Ahead of Friday's India-China border talks, China yesterday said that the Doka la standoff posed a "major test" for bilateral ties and lessons should be learnt from it to avoid a similar "conflict" in the future. The 20th round of border talks between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and China's State Councillor Yang Jiechi will be held in New Delhi on December 22, officials said. It will be the first since the 73-day Doka La standoff in the Sikkim section which ended on August 28. "This Special Representative meeting is not only a high-level channel for the border issue discussion but also the platform for strategic communication," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told media yesterday. This also allows the two sides to exchange views on the international and regional issues of major concern, she said.

Indian and Chinese troops were in a face-off for 73 days at Doka La. Representation pic