First since Galwan clash, Rajnath Singh to holds talks with Chinese counterpart

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is set to hold bilateral talks with his Chinese counterpart Li Shangfu on the sidelines of the SCO defence ministers' meet in Delhi on Wednesday.

This is the first visit by a Chinese defence minister to India since Indian and Chinese militaries have been locked in a border standoff since May 2020.

"Upon invitation, Chinese State Councillor and Defence Minister General Li Shangfu will attend the meeting of the Council of Defence Ministers of the Member States of the SCO in New Delhi, India, from April 27 to 28," the Chinese defence ministry said in a brief statement.

"During the meeting, General Li will address the conference and meet with the heads of delegations from relevant countries to communicate and exchange views on the issues of international and regional situations as well as defence and security cooperation," the statement added.India and China have been locked in a prolonged eastern Ladakh standoff, sending bilateral ties plummeting to their worst in decades.

The ties between the two countries nosedived significantly following a deadly clash at Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh in June 2020 that left 20 Indian soldiers and at least four Chinese troops dead.

Later, the Corps Commander-level talks were instituted to resolve the Ladakh row. Since then, both countries have held a series of military and diplomatic talks and completed the disengagement process on the north and south banks of the Pangong Lake and in the Gogra area.

However, both New Delhi and Beijing have deployed thousands of troops and heavy armament along the LAC.