India, China ministers to meet for 1st time post-border truce
What's the story
India's Defense Minister Rajnath Singh will meet his Chinese counterpart Dong Jun next week, the first ministerial-level contact since the recent troop disengagement in eastern Ladakh. The meeting will reportedly be on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Ministers Plus (ADMM-Plus) summit in Laos from November 20. The last such meeting was in April 2023 when China's then Defense Minister Li Shangfu visited Delhi for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.
Diplomatic efforts
Meeting aims to rebuild strained India-China relations
The meeting of Singh and Jun is the latest in a series of high-level engagements to rebuild India-China ties. It comes after a recent meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping in Russia last month. The two countries have been trying to normalize ties after violent clashes in Galwan and Pangong Lake areas in 2020 heightened tensions and increased military deployment on both sides.
Border deescalation
Troop disengagement marks significant step toward resolution
With the recent troop disengagement in eastern Ladakh, India has been able to resume patrolling in the Depsang region. Both countries have also agreed to a weekly coordinated patrol at friction points such as Demchok and Depsang. According to defense sources, one patrol in each area would be carried out by Indian forces and one by Chinese troops.
Summit discussions
ADMM-Plus summit to focus on regional stability
The ADMM-Plus summit will see defense ministers from eight nations, including Australia, Japan, and the United States. Regional stability and border issues are likely to dominate the talks, building on the framework set by the LAC agreement. The disengagement comes after positive developments in other contentious areas like Pangong Lake and Gogra-Hot Springs where both sides have pulled back to pre-April 2020 positions as part of these agreements.