Ajit Karn
Thursday,Chinese Defense Minister General Li Shangfu vouched for a ““China and India share far more common interests…,” even after Rajnath avoids handshake.
During a bilateral meeting with India’s Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Defence Ministers meeting, he stated, “As major neighboring countries and important developing nations, China and India have far more common than divergent interests. China Military Online reported that the two sides should view bilateral relations and each other’s development from a comprehensive, long-term, and strategic perspective, and jointly contribute wisdom and strength to global and regional peace and stability.
Notably, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh did not exchange a salutation with his Chinese counterpart Li prior to their bilateral meeting, whereas he did so with his Tajik, Iranian, and Kazakh counterparts.
According to China Military Online, Li stated that the situation along the China-India border is generally stable and that both sides have maintained communication through military and diplomatic channels.
“The two sides should adopt a long-term perspective, place the border issue in its proper place in bilateral relations, and facilitate the transition to normalized border management. “It is hoped that the two militaries will work together to enhance mutual trust and make appropriate contributions to the development of bilateral relations,” said Li.
Singh had stated categorically that the development of relations between India and China is contingent upon the existence of peace and tranquility at the border.
He added that all LAC issues must be resolved in accordance with existing bilateral agreements and responsibilities.
Singh reaffirmed that the violation of extant agreements has undermined the entire foundation of bilateral relations, and that disengagement at the border will logically be followed by de-escalation.
India, as SCO Chair in 2023, will host the SCO Defense Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi on April 28, 2023.
The SCO is an international organization founded in 2001. The SCO membership comprises Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan besides India.
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In addition to the member nations, Belarus and Iran will also participate in the SCO Defence Ministers Meeting as observers.
