Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met his Chinese counterpart Admiral Dong Jun on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in China on Friday and said both nations were obliged to avoid further complexities in their relationship.
Sharing about the meeting on X, Singh said, "Held talks with Admiral Dong 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."
The defence minister added he expressed his happiness on restarting the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra after a gap of nearly six years. Adding both nations should maintain the positive momentum, Singh said, "It is incumbent on both sides to maintain this positive momentum and avoid adding new complexities in the bilateral relationship."
The defence minister held bilateral talks with his Chinese counterpart on the sidelines of the SCO defence ministers meeting. "The two Ministers held in-depth discussions on the need to maintain peace and tranquillity along the Indo-China border," the ministry said in a statement.
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The bilateral talks between India and China come amid efforts by both nations to reset their ties following an understanding last October to end the military standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. "He also called for bridging the trust deficit created after the 2020 border standoff, by taking action on the ground," the ministry said.
Rajnath Singh also reportedly stressed the need to have a permanent solution for border demarcation by rejuvenating the established mechanism on the issue. PTI, quoting a Chinese readout, reported the defence minister said in the meeting with Don that India does not seek conflict or confrontation with China, and is willing to properly handle differences, enhance communication and promote mutual trust for the steady development of bilateral relations.
