Beijing, 28 April 2023 (TDI): Yesterday, Chinese State Councillor and Defence Minister General Li Shangfu met with Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi.
Two defense leaders held a discussion ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Defence Ministers’ meeting, scheduled today (Friday) in New Delhi.
During the discussion, both sides exchanged views on the bilateral relations between their militaries and showed commitment to contributing towards regional peace and security.
Gen. Li reiterated that China and India, being neighboring countries, share more common interests than differences. Thus, he expected both countries to view their bilateral relations and development from a comprehensive, long-term and strategic perspective.
According to him, China and India can contribute to enhanced peace and regional stability by working together on core security issues.
Then he went on, noting that currently China-India border is stable, and both sides have been maintaining communication through military and diplomatic channels.
Therefore, he hoped that both countries would continue working together to develop their bilateral relations by placing their border issue appropriately.
Rajnath, on his part, told Li that to have better relations, there must be peace and tranquillity to be restored on their common border.
Noting that it was their first meeting since the border clash between troops from both sides in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley in 2020, he stated that all the issues at LAC need to be resolved as per bilateral agreements.
Brief Background of China-India military relations
In June 2020, tensions between the two countries escalated when a clash occurred between Indian and Chinese soldiers in the Galwan Valley, resulting in the death of 20 Indian soldiers and an unknown number of Chinese soldiers.
This incident led to a build-up of troops and equipment along the border, and both countries engaged in several rounds of talks to try and de-escalate the situation.
As of early 2023, while there has been some reduction in the number of troops along the border, tensions remain high, and there have been occasional reports of skirmishes and clashes.
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Both China and India have reiterated their commitment to resolving the border dispute peacefully through dialogue and negotiations. Still, it remains to be seen if a lasting resolution can be reached.
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