Ties Depend On Peace On Border: Rajnath
Context :
Violations of existing accords have destroyed the entire foundation of bilateral relations, says China’s Defence Minister during the country’s first high-level military visit since the Ladakh standoff began in 2020.
Points to Ponder:
- During General Li Shang Fu’s visit to India, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met with his Chinese counterpart.
- The breach of existing accords, according to Singh, has weakened the foundation of bilateral relations, and peace and serenity at the borders are required for the development of India-China ties.
- The two countries had just completed the 18th round of Corps Commander discussions, which had failed.
- Both parties agreed that restoring peace along the border would “enable progress” in the strained relations.
- All issues along the Line of Actual Control must be resolved following existing bilateral agreements and commitments, according to Singh.
- Singh further claimed that military cooperation between the two countries can advance “only” if the border is peaceful and serene.
- The Chinese Minister and State Councillor are in New Delhi for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers meeting, which is set to take place on Friday.
- The SCO summit will focus on regional peace and security, SCO counter-terrorism measures, and effective multilateralism.
- As the SCO chair, India has organised two defence-related activities to improve interoperability among member states: a workshop on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief and a seminar on SCO defence think tanks on the issue of armed forces contributing to military medicine, healthcare, and pandemic management.
- The SCO bases its policy on the principles of national sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-interference in domestic affairs, equality of all member states, and mutual understanding and respect for each other’s perspectives.
Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO):
- Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is a permanent intergovernmental international organization for regional security.
- SCO was created in 2001 as a successor to Shanghai Five which was constituted by Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan.
- After Uzbekistan joined the organization in 2001, the Shanghai Five was renamed as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
- India and Pakistan joined the grouping in 2017.
