India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has urged China to work toward a “permanent solution” to the long-standing border dispute between the two countries, India’s defence ministry said on Friday.
Singh made the remarks during a meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Dong Jun, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) defence ministers’ meeting held Thursday in Qingdao, China. He also stressed the need for a structured roadmap to resolve ongoing issues and restore trust following the deadly 2020 border clash.
India and China share a 3,800-kilometre disputed Himalayan frontier, which has seen decades of tensions and, at times, violent conflict. A 2020 clash in the Galwan Valley left 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers dead, sparking a years-long military standoff.
Although both sides agreed to disengage in October last year, Singh reiterated India’s position that normalcy in relations depends on peace along the border.
The SCO defence ministers’ gathering comes ahead of the group’s leaders’ summit scheduled for autumn. Members of the 10-nation bloc include India, China, Russia, Pakistan, and Iran.
Singh made the remarks during a meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Dong Jun, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) defence ministers’ meeting held Thursday in Qingdao, China. He also stressed the need for a structured roadmap to resolve ongoing issues and restore trust following the deadly 2020 border clash.
India and China share a 3,800-kilometre disputed Himalayan frontier, which has seen decades of tensions and, at times, violent conflict. A 2020 clash in the Galwan Valley left 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers dead, sparking a years-long military standoff.
Although both sides agreed to disengage in October last year, Singh reiterated India’s position that normalcy in relations depends on peace along the border.
The SCO defence ministers’ gathering comes ahead of the group’s leaders’ summit scheduled for autumn. Members of the 10-nation bloc include India, China, Russia, Pakistan, and Iran.
