Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met his Chinese counterpart Admiral Dong Jun on June 26, 2025, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ meeting in Qingdao, China.
The meeting was significant as it addressed the lingering trust deficit between India and China following the 2020 stand-off in Eastern Ladakh, which had led to heightened military deployments and a severe downturn in bilateral relations.
During the talks, Singh emphasized the need to avoid introducing new complexities into the relationship and called for both countries to maintain positive momentum in their ties. He acknowledged ongoing efforts by both sides to restore normalcy but stressed that bridging the trust deficit created after the 2020 border stand-off requires concrete actions on the ground.
Singh specifically highlighted the importance of maintaining peace and tranquillity along the 3,488 km Line of Actual Control (LAC) and called for a structured roadmap for permanent engagement and de-escalation.
The two ministers agreed to continue consultations at various levels to make progress on disengagement, de-escalation, border management, and eventual border delimitation through existing mechanisms.
Singh also pushed for a permanent solution to the border demarcation issue by rejuvenating established mechanisms and emphasized the need to create good neighbourly conditions for mutual benefit and regional stability.
Singh marked the milestone of 75 years of diplomatic relations between India and China and welcomed the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra after nearly six years, viewing it as a positive development.
He also briefed his counterpart on recent security concerns, including the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, and India’s Operation Sindoor targeting terrorist networks in Pakistan.
The backdrop to these discussions includes the disengagement agreement reached in October 2024, which saw troops moving back from key friction points such as Depsang and Demchok, though significant military presence remains near the LAC.
The military and diplomatic dialogue is set to continue, with mechanisms like the Corps Commander Level meetings and the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) playing key roles in managing the complex relationship and working towards a lasting resolution.
The meeting underscored India’s stance of not seeking conflict, but rather managing differences, enhancing communication, and building mutual trust to advance bilateral ties while firmly addressing the issues arising from the 2020 stand-off and ongoing border management challenges.
Based On ANI Report
