Demarcation, Delimitation At Borders: India Shares 4-Point Plan With China
New Delhi:
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday met his Chinese counterpart, Admiral Dong Jun, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers' Meeting in Qingdao. The bilateral conversation, India's highest-level military dialogue with China in recent months, centred around maintaining peace along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and charting a roadmap for long-term border stability.
A Four-Point Roadmap
During the meeting, Mr Singh proposed a four-point plan designed to prevent further deterioration in India-China relations:
1. Strict Adherence to the 2024 Disengagement Agreement: Both sides are expected to honour and implement the disengagement pact signed in October last year, covering the remaining friction points in Eastern Ladakh, particularly Demchok and Depsang.
2. De-escalation Measures: Mr Singh called for continuous efforts to de-escalate tensions and avoid any flare-ups along the LAC.
3. Demarcation and Delimitation: Mr Singh urged for fast-tracked negotiations towards finalising the boundary delineation process. " Mr Singh stressed on border management and to have a permanent solution of border demarcation by rejuvenating the established mechanism on the issue," a government statement read.
4. Addressing Trust Deficit: The Defence Minister stressed the need to create good neighbourly conditions to achieve the "best mutual benefits" as well as to cooperate for stability in Asia and the world. He also called for bridging the "trust deficit" created after the 2020 border standoff.
This dialogue marks the first high-level military engagement since India and China concluded the disengagement process at Demchok and Depsang Plains in October 2024. That agreement was the outcome of intense negotiations, culminating in the October 23 Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping meeting in Kazan on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit.
The meeting coincided with the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra after a nearly six-year suspension. Originally halted in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and later extended due to the border standoff, the pilgrimage to the Tibet Autonomous Region was viewed by both sides as a symbolic gesture towards normalisation.
Terrorism and Pakistan
Mr Singh also raised the issue of cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan, particularly referencing the April 22 attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam which left 26 people dead. Mr Singh briefed his Chinese counterpart on Operation Sindoor, India's counter-terrorism campaign aimed at dismantling terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan.
Mr Singh refused to sign the joint SCO Defence Ministers' declaration that omitted any reference to terrorism or the Pahalgam attack. India viewed the exclusion as a deliberate attempt to downplay terrorism in the region. The final text of the SCO document instead made reference to Balochistan, which New Delhi interpreted as a veiled accusation.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
19 minutes ago
- Time of India
No Balochistan, Pahalgam or terrorism mentioned in SCO declaration, say sources
After India refused to sign a joint declaration at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers' meeting in China on Thursday, certain reports had claimed that the declaration had found a mention of the Balochistan crisis , but failed to mention the Pahalgam terror attack prompting India not to endorse the document. However, sources have clarified that these reports are completely incorrect. According to sources, the alphabet soup of the declaration document did not have either B (Balochistan) or P (Pahalgam) in its text. The document did not even have a reference to T (terrorism). This prompted India to back off from signing the final declaration. Sources also said that the Defence Minister Rajnath Singh did not sign the SCO document as India was not satisfied with the language of the joint document, as there was no mention of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday stated that the Raksha Mantri was right in not signing the joint document as one country of the 10-member grouping did not want to refer to terrorism. Jaishankar said the main objective of the SCO was to fight terror. The Ministry of External Affairs had in a statement said that the Defence Ministers' meeting of the SCO concluded without a joint statement due to a lack of consensus among member countries. Live Events "India advocated for the inclusion of terrorism concerns in the document, but one country objected. Defence Minister urged countries to unite against terrorism and hold perpetrators accountable, emphasising regional stability and security," it said. When asked about the development at a press conference in the national capital, Jaishankar said, "Let me give you some context because I think it's important. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation its objective was to fight terrorism. This organisation exists to fight terrorism. When Rajnath Ji went for a defence ministers' meeting, and there was a discussion on the outcome document, one country. You can guess which one. One country said that no, we do not want a reference to that." "Rajnath Singh's view rightly was, without that reference, that when the main purpose of the organisation is to fight terrorism, and you are not allowing a reference to that, he expressed his unwillingness to accept... SCO runs with unanimity. One country did not agree to making a reference to terrorism in the statement. So, Rajnath ji clearly said that if there is no mention of terrorism in the statement, we will not sign it," Jaishankar added. Addressing the SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting in China's Qingdao yesterday, Rajnath Singh had said that there should be no place for double standards regarding terrorism, and member countries of the bloc should not hesitate to criticise nations that indulge in such actions. Economic Times WhatsApp channel )
Economic Times
33 minutes ago
- Economic Times
How China is playing a twin-track game with India
China's strategic leverage through export denials Live Events You Might Also Like: After magnets, China now plants agriculture barrier for India Domestic priorities or geopolitical game? You Might Also Like: Rajnath Singh calls for bridging trust deficit after 2020 border standoff, urges China to take permanent action What are India's options? Diplomacy on the surface, pressure beneath (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Amid ongoing diplomatic exchanges between India and China, including an ongoing visit by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and recent visit of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval for the SCO Summit, China is also taking provocative steps. It has halted or severely delayed critical exports to India, including rare earth magnets, specialty fertilisers and even tunnel boring machines (TBMs) destined for the Mumbai–Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor. These moves raise urgent questions about China's strategy: why is it choosing to weaponise trade just as both sides are seeking to "normalise" ties?China's twin-track strategy on India unfolds as overt diplomatic engagement while exerting covert trade pressures. China's recent actions reflect how it views its trade relationship with India as a tool of strategic control over key supply chains is well established. As the world's leading producer of rare earth elements, fertiliser inputs and industrial machinery, it occupies a dominant position in many high-value sectors. By deliberately delaying or halting exports of these items to India, Beijing is asserting this dominance in subtle but unmistakably coercive case of rare earth magnets is particularly revealing. These components are essential in advanced electronics, electric vehicles, wind turbines, etc. By denying their export to Indian firms, China is slowing down India's ambitions in high-tech manufacturing, a key pillar of the 'Make in India' and Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) initiatives. Similarly, specialty fertilisers held up at Chinese ports affect India's agricultural sector at a time when global food security concerns remain high. The blockade of tunnel boring machines, critical for a flagship infrastructure project co-funded by Japan, introduces both economic delays and diplomatic of these actions share a common thread. They enable China to remind India of its central role in global industrial ecosystems, and the consequences of falling out of its has offered technical reasons for some of these export delays, particularly around fertilisers. Chinese customs authorities have cited inspections under the guise of entry–exit Inspection & Quarantine (CIQ) protocols, ostensibly to protect domestic agricultural needs and control these justifications do not fully explain export curbs. The deliberate and consistent nature of these export denials, especially when targeted at sensitive sectors and projects, points to a more calculated geopolitical strategy. The Chinese state is using bureaucratic tools to exert pressure without officially declaring a trade embargo. People with knowledge of the matter have told ET that China has not been inspecting shipments meant for India, using various procedures to block exports without imposing an express ban. The pattern suggests this is less about domestic need and more about strategic messaging."China has been restricting suppliers of specialty fertilisers to India for the last four to five years. However, this time it is a complete halt," Rajib Chakraborty, president, Soluble Fertilizer Industry Association (SFIA), has told ET key driver behind China's trade obstructions may be retaliation for India's post-Galwan restrictions on Chinese economic engagement. Since the deadly 2020 border clash in Ladakh, India has taken several steps to limit Chinese influence in its economy. India mandates government approval for investment by countries that have a border with it, specifically aimed at its northern from China now requires government approval under the updated FDI norms (Press Note 3). Over 200 Chinese mobile apps, including TikTok, have been banned on national security grounds. Direct flights between India and China have remained restricted. From China's perspective, these restrictions have curbed its access to India's vast consumer market and investment space. The export denials, therefore, serve as a tit-for-tat response, an attempt to signal displeasure at India's protective economic posture. By denying key supplies, China is reminding India of the cost of economic export denial strategy is a textbook example of economic statecraft. It reflects not just China's confidence in its industrial leverage but also its increasing willingness to use trade as a tool of coercion. China's export blockades may be an attempt to test India's resilience under pressure. By selectively disrupting supplies of items that are not easily substitutable such as precision magnets or specific fertiliser grades, China could be observing how quickly India can pivot to has already begun to diversify. Russia has emerged as the largest supplier of fertilisers to India, overtaking China. For rare earths, India is deepening ties with Australia, the US and Japan. Domestically, Production-Linked Incentive schemes are being ramped up to encourage local manufacturing of critical components. China may be calculating that while India can eventually diversify, the short-term costs and disruptions will serve as a deterrent. If Chinese exports remain unreliable, and alternatives are more expensive or slower to arrive, India might be forced to recalibrate its trade posture vis-a-vis China by sourcing critical imports from more reliable suppliers as well as ramping up domestic these coercive trade tactics are unfolding even as both countries are engaged in diplomatic overtures. NSA Ajit Doval's visit to Beijing and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's current presence in China underscore a shared interest in stabilising ties, particularly along the Line of Actual the export denials reveal a different layer of strategy. Beijing appears to be testing the sincerity and strength of India's outreach, using trade friction as a way to probe India's limits. Probably, China wants steep concessions from India to normalise ties just as India seeks a permanent solution to border issues. Beneath overt diplomacy, China is exerting covert pressures through trade to extract benefits from India. But India is playing hardball. While acknowledging constructive and forward-looking exchange of views on issues pertaining to bilateral relations, Rajnath Singh said he told Admiral Don Jun, the Defence Minister of China, "It is incumbent on both the sides to maintain this positive momentum and avoid adding new complexities in the bilateral relationship."The recent export-denial pressures by China could be a ploy as India and China try to reach a new understanding leaving behind years of tension in ties due to border clashes. The first group of Indian pilgrims undertaking the sacred Kailash-Manasarovar Yatra, has reached Manasarovar Lake, marking the resumption of the journey after a five-year break and a sign that both the countries are willing to try to mend relations.
India.com
an hour ago
- India.com
China in panic after witnessing destruction caused by US' B-2 bombers; experts say Beijing, Xi Jinping must...
The B-2 stealth bomber is the world's most expensive warplane. (File) B-2 stealth bomber: Earlier this month, the United States decimated Iranian nuclear sites as they used the B-2 stealth bombers to drop the massive 30,000lbs (13.6 tonne) GBU-57 Massive Ordinance Penetrator (MOP), aka the bunker buster bombs, on Isfahan, Natanz, and Fordow nuclear facilities, which purportedly 'completely obliterated' these locations, according to US President Donald Trump. The US' use of the B-2 stealth bomber in Iran has become a hot topic of discussion among global strategic circles, and has sparked panic among Washington's rivals, including China, who have been stunned at the destructive effectiveness of the sixth-generation bomber jet, especially its ability to fly long distances. Chinese experts in awe of B-2 stealth bomber The B-2's performance has impressed Chinese experts, who are now calling upon Beijing to develop a similar bomber jet to maintain strategic parity with the United States. According to Song Zhongping, a military analyst and former instructor in China's People's Liberation Army (PLA), nothing, not even a latest 6th-generation fighter jet, can replace strategic bomber, even in an era where long-range attack missiles exist, South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported. Zhongping notes that strategic bombers have the capability to carry both nuclear and conventional attack, which makes it strategic weapon that could turn the tide in favor of any army. How B-2 stealth bomber destroyed Iranian nuclear sites On June 22, the US military launched Operation Midnight Hammer, under which seven B-2 stealth bombers breached Iranian airspace and dropped its heavy GBU-57 bunker busting bombs on the country's top nuclear facilities, including Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow. The bomber took off from the Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, and flew for nearly 37 hours, taking the trans-Atlantic route via the Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea, and entered Iran's airspace from the west or southwest. This was the the longest mission for the B-2 bomber since 2001. After bombing Iranian nuclear facilities with impunity, the B-2 stealth bomber fleet left the Iranian airspace and returned without any resistance, a feat that has stunned Chinese experts, who now believe that strategic bombers are very important for the Chinese army due to their utility in attacking anywhere in the world and establishing nuclear deterrence. What makes the B-2 stealth bomber special? The Northrop B-2 Spirit, commonly known as the B-2 stealth bomber, is a heavy strategic bomber with low-observable stealth technology designed to evade dense anti-aircraft defenses. The B-2 bomber has a special radar-absorbent coating on its body, which absorbs radar signals and prevent them bouncing off the aircraft, significantly reducing detection chances by enemy radars. This unique technology also increases the B-2's speed, and its sleek body is designed in manner that drastically reduces the plane's radar cross-section. The B-2 stealth bomber is especially designed to carry heavy bombs, including the GBU-57 bunker buster, which it reportedly dropped on Iran's underground Fordow nuclear site during Sunday's attack. The heavy bomber can also carry nuclear bombs. Additionally, the B-2 has a range of more than 10,000 kilometers, making it capable of carrying out intercontinental strikes. China is currently flight-testing two different sixth-generation aircraft, the J-36 and J-50, however, even the most advanced 6th-gen stealth fighters are no match for a strategic bomber, due its long-flight capability, and the sheer volume of explosives it can carry, as per analysts.
