Rajnath Meets Chinese Counterpart; Stresses Avoiding New Complexities In Ties

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has conveyed to his Chinese counterpart Admiral Dong Jun that India and China should maintain the positive momentum in the bilateral ties and avoid adding new complexities.

Singh held "constructive" talks with Dong on the sidelines of a conclave of defence ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in this Chinese port city on Thursday evening.

The Indian defence minister's visit to China came amid efforts by both New Delhi and Beijing to reset their ties following an understanding last October to end the military standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.

"Held talks with Admiral Dong Jun, the Defence Minister of China, on the sidelines of the SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting in Qingdao. We had a constructive and forward-looking exchange of views on issues about bilateral relations," Singh said in a social media post on Friday. "Expressed my happiness on the restarting of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra after a gap of nearly six years," he said.

"It is incumbent on both sides to maintain this positive momentum and avoid adding new complexities in the bilateral relationship," he added. Singh also presented Dong a Madhubani painting called 'Tree of Life' that symbolised wisdom and vitality, officials said.

Madhubani art painting has its origin in the Mithila region of Bihar. This painting is a symbol of wisdom and vitality. According to a Chinese readout, Singh said in the meeting with Dong that India does not seek conflict or confrontation with China, and is willing to properly handle differences, enhance communication and promote mutual trust for the steady development of bilateral relations.

Singh's visit to Qingdao coincided with the resumption of the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra in Tibet. It is taking place after a gap of nearly five years. The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra was suspended initially in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequently because of the military standoff between the two sides on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.

The pilgrimage to Mount Kailash and Mansarovar Lake in China’s Tibet Autonomous Region holds religious significance to Hindus as well as Jains and Buddhists. The military standoff in eastern Ladakh began in May 2020, and a deadly clash at the Galwan Valley in June that year resulted in a severe downturn in ties between the two neighbours.

The face-off effectively ended following completion of the disengagement process from the last two friction points of Demchok and Depsang under an agreement finalised on October 21 last year. In December last, NSA Doval visited Beijing and held talks with Wang under the framework of Special Representatives (SR) dialogue on the boundary dispute.

The decision to revive the SR mechanism and other such dialogue formats was taken at a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Kazan on October 23, 2024. The Modi-Xi meeting came two days after India and China firmed up a disengagement pact for Depsang and Demchok. Doval visited China this week as well to attend a conclave of top security officials of the SCO.