New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will travel to China on June 24 and 25 to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) defence ministers’ meeting, marking the first high-level ministerial visit from India to China since the 2020 border standoff in Eastern Ladakh.
The visit signals renewed efforts by both nations to ease tensions, restore stability, and rebuild mutual trust. During his visit, Singh is also expected to hold discussions with his Chinese counterpart, Admiral Dong Jun. This will be his first visit to China in the role of defence minister—he previously visited the country while serving as home minister.
The trip follows the momentum from a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in October 2023, where both leaders agreed to improve bilateral ties.
Earlier, on June 12, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri held talks with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong in New Delhi. The two reviewed progress made since their January meeting and agreed to promote greater “people-centric engagements,” according to a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs.
