ibn sultan
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will travel to China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ meet in Qingdao from June 25 to 27 in his first such visit since Operation Sindoor. Pakistan Defence Minister Khwaja Asif will also attend the meeting.
The visit coincides with India and China working to normalise relations, marked by the resumption of trade, travel, and dialogue.
Singh will have bilaterals with his Chinese counterpart, Admiral Dong Jun, on the sidelines of the SCO meet.
The meeting is happening at a time when the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra has resumed. Patrolling is happening in Depsang and Demchok.
India and China are holding talks to reduce border tensions and enhance bilateral ties. Singh’s visit follows his meeting with China’s Defence Minister Admiral Dong Jun at the ADMM-Plus summit in Laos, their first interaction after the border disengagement agreement.
The potential visit is part of ongoing diplomatic efforts to normalise India-China ties, which may include discussions on reviving the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, restoring air links, exchanging hydrological data, and enhancing visa and people-to-people exchanges.
India reiterated its support for China’s SCO presidency during recent talks in Delhi between Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong.
