NEW DELHI: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told his Chinese counterpart that Beijing’s actions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) of violating existing agreements had “eroded the entire basis of bilateral relations”.
Rajnath Singh led a team of senior Defence Ministry officials for a bilateral meeting with State Councillor and Minister of National Defence of China, Gen Li Shangfu, in New Delhi today. This is the first visit by a Chinese Defence Minister to India after the armies of the two countries have been locked in a stand-off along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh since April 2020.
General Shangfu is here for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ meeting to be held tomorrow. “The two ministers had frank discussions on the developments in the India-China border areas as well as bilateral relations,” a Defence Ministry statement said.
Rajnath Singh categorically conveyed that “development of relations between India and China is premised on prevalence of peace and tranquillity at the borders”. “All issues at the LAC need to be resolved in accordance with the existing bilateral agreements and commitments. Violation of existing agreements has eroded the entire basis of bilateral relations”.
On the present situation along the LAC, Rajnath Singh said disengagement of troops at the border would logically be followed with de-escalation. Rajnath Singh held separate bilateral meetings with the Minister of Defence of Kazakhstan, Col Gen Ruslan Zhaxylykov, and the Minister of Defence of Tajikistan, Col Gen Sherali Mirzo, today. The Indian delegation had a bilateral meeting with Iran’s Minister of Defence, Brig Gen Mohammed Reza Gharaei Ashtiyani.