Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met his Chinese counterpart Admiral Dong Jun on the sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ meeting in Qingdao, China.
Singh, while discussing the need to maintain peace and tranquility along the Indo-China border, also warned China to “avoid adding new complexities in the bilateral relationship.”
In a post on X, the Indian defence minister wrote, “Held talks with Admiral Don Jun, the Defence Minister of China, on the sidelines of SCO Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Qingdao. We had a constructive and forward looking exchange of views on issues pertaining to bilateral relations.
“Expressed my happiness on restarting the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra after a gap of nearly six years. It is incumbent on both sides to maintain this positive momentum and avoid adding new complexities in the bilateral relationship,” he said.
During the meeting, Singh acknowledged the work being undertaken by both sides to bring back semblance of normalcy in the bilateral relations. He highlighted the necessity of solving the complex issues through a structured roadmap of permanent engagement and de-escalation.
Stressing on the border management and to have a permanent solution of border demarcation by rejuvenating the established mechanism on the issue, the defence minister emphasised the need to create good neighbourly conditions to achieve best mutual benefits as well as to cooperate for stability in Asia and the world. He also called for bridging the trust deficit created after 2020 Border standoff, by taking action on ground.
A statement from the Ministry of Defence stated that the two sides also agreed to continue consultations at various levels to achieve progress on issues related to disengagement, de-escalation, border management and eventual de-limitation through existing mechanisms.
Earlier, the defence minister had strongly raised the Pahalgam terror attack carried out by the terrorists on April 22. During the meeting, Singh also briefed his counterpart about India’s Operation Sindoor aimed at dismantling the terrorist networks in Pakistan.