'De-escalation, border management': Rajnath Singh chalks 4-point roadmap to end India's dispute with China
India's defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday, met with his Chinese counterpart Admiral Dong Jun, and chalked out a four-point roadmap to end India's dispute with China.
During the talks, India and China's defence ministers agreed to continue consultations to achieve progress on "disengagement, de-escalation, border management and eventual de-limitation", as per an official statement.
Rajnath Singh and Admiral Dong Jun met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers' Meeting in Qingdao, which marks the first high-level military engagement since India and China concluded the disengagement process at Demchok and Depsang Plains in October 2024.
From strict adherence to the 2024 Disengagement Agreement to focusing on border management, here's a look at India's 4-point roadmap:
1. Adherence to 2024 Disengagement Agreement: Both nations are expected to fully implement the disengagement agreement signed in October 2024, particularly at the remaining friction points in Eastern Ladakh, including Demchok and Depsang.
2. Ongoing De-escalation efforts: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh emphasised the need for sustained efforts to reduce tensions and prevent any future incidents along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
3. Demarcation and delimitation: Rajnath Singh also urged for expedited talks to finalise the boundary demarcation process. "Singh also stressed on border management and to have a permanent solution of border demarcation by rejuvenating the established mechanism on the issue," the government statement mentioned, referring to the border talks process between the Asian giants.
4. Bridging the Trust deficit: During his meeting with Admiral Dong, Rajnath Singh also called for bridging the trust deficit created after the 2020 standoff, India said in its statement.
The SCO defence ministers, however, were unable to adopt a joint statement at the end of their meeting due to a lack of consensus on referring to "terrorism", India stated.
Sharing a photo on X after the meeting, Rajnath Singh emphasised the importance of maintaining the "positive momentum" in India-China diplomatic relations. He also expressed happiness over the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, which has restarted after nearly six years.
India and China share a 3, 800 km largely undemarcated and disputed border in the Himalayas and have gone to war over it.
Following the border standoff in eastern Ladakh, India has consistently maintained that peace and stability along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) are essential for normalising overall ties with China.
The standoff began in May 2020, with a deadly clash in the Galwan Valley in June that year leading to a sharp deterioration in bilateral relations.
The face-off effectively ended following the completion of the disengagement process from Demchok and Depsang's last two friction points under an agreement finalised on October 21.
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