Defence Minister Rajnath Singh suggested a four-pronged plan to ease border tension and better diplomatic ties with China during a bilateral meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Admiral Dong Jun, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Qingdao, sources told India Today TV. The four-point formula includes: adherence to the 2024 disengagement plan, continued efforts to de-escalate, accelerated efforts to achieve the goal of demarcation and delimitation at the borders, and the usage of the existing special representative level mechanism to prepare new processes to manage differences and improve relations.
During the meeting, Rajnath Singh also raised the matter of Pakistan-sponsored cross-border terrorism. In this context, he stressed that Operation Sindoor is now “India’s principled position” against the issue.
Sharing a picture on X following the meeting, the Defence Minister stressed on both New Delhi and Beijing maintaining the “positive momentum” in diplomatic ties. He also expressed happiness at the restarting of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra after a gap of around six years.
“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. Expressed my happiness on restarting of 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 to the bilateral relationship,” Singh tweeted.