This marks Rajnath Singh’s inaugural overseas journey following India’s initiation of Operation Sindoor against Pakistan in May.
Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is set to visit China next week to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ meeting in Qingdao from June 25 to 27.
This marks his first international trip since India initiated Operation Sindoor against Pakistan in May. Notably, his Pakistani counterpart Khwaja Asif is also expected to attend the summit.
India-China working to normalise ties
The visit occurs as both India and China make strides towards normalising their relationship after a prolonged period of tensions that followed deadly confrontations in the Himalayas in 2020.
In recent months, bilateral relations have seen improvement, highlighted by the resumption of trade, travel, and dialogue.
India’s Foreign Minister S Jaishankar stated in April to Network 18 that the relationship between the two Asian powers is ‘much better’.
“The relationship is much better than before. I think the disengagement, particularly in Depsang Demchok, was significant,” the External Affairs Minister remarked.
“We are now addressing, to some extent, the issues on the border due to a force build-up over several years. Numerous other developments also occurred during this time. Some were collateral to the situation, while others were a continuation from the Covid era,” he added.
This visit by the defence minister also aligns with the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, which has been enabled by the Chinese authorities.
Rajnath Singh is scheduled to engage in bilateral discussions with his Chinese counterpart, Admiral Dong Jun, during the SCO summit.
India and China are currently involved in talks aimed at further alleviating border tensions and enhancing bilateral relations. Singh’s forthcoming meeting follows his previous interaction with Admiral Dong Jun at the ADMM-Plus summit in Laos, marking their first engagement since the recent border disengagement agreement.
This prospective visit is a component of wider diplomatic initiatives aimed at normalizing relations between India and China, which may include discussions on reinstating air connectivity, exchanging hydrological data, and enhancing visa facilitation along with people-to-people interactions.
In recent talks held in Delhi, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong reaffirmed India’s backing for China’s leadership of the SCO.
Challenges
Despite the recent warming of relations, obstacles continue to exist in Indo-Sino cooperation.
A significant concern is China’s overt economic and military backing of Pakistan.
It remains uncertain whether Singh will address this matter during his forthcoming engagement with the Chinese officials.
