ISLAMABAD (PEN) : Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has called on China to seek a “permanent solution” to the long-standing border dispute between the two nations, according to a statement from India’s defence ministry.
Dialogue at SCO Defence Ministers’ Meeting
Singh met with his Chinese counterpart, Dong Jun, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ meeting held in Qingdao on Thursday. During the talks, Singh emphasized the importance of addressing bilateral issues through a structured roadmap.
The two countries share a largely undefined 3,800-kilometre Himalayan border, which has been a source of tension for decades. The dispute escalated in 2020 when a violent clash resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers, leading to a prolonged military standoff.
Building Trust After the 2020 Standoff
Since the 2020 confrontation, both armies had deployed tens of thousands of troops in the region until a disengagement agreement was reached in October, easing tensions. Singh highlighted the need to bridge the trust deficit created by the standoff during his meeting with Dong.
Context of the SCO Meeting
The SCO is a Eurasian political and security alliance that includes China, Russia, India, Pakistan, and Iran among its ten members. The defence ministers’ meeting served as a precursor to the organisation’s upcoming annual leaders’ summit scheduled for autumn.
India noted that the defence gathering was unable to adopt a joint statement due to ongoing complexities among member states.
