Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit: Will The Meeting In Delhi Bring India And China Closer Or Further Apart?
- Posted on April 27, 2023
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- By Top Stories
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Breaking the Ice: First Chinese Defense Minister
Visit to India Since 2020 Border Clash
The Chinese
Defence Minister, Li Shangfu, descends upon Indian soil, poised to participate
in a pivotal security summit against a backdrop of simmering tensions between
the two nations. Mr. Li is scheduled to attend the Shanghai Cooperation
Organisation (SCO) defense ministers' meeting in Delhi on Friday, marking the
first time a Chinese defense minister has visited India since the deadly clash
between their troops in 2020, which resulted in the deaths of at least 20
Indian and four Chinese soldiers.
Shifting Landscapes of the Himalayas: A Major
Obstacle in the India-China Border Dispute
But this dispute
didn't end there. Other confrontations have occurred since then, with the most
recent taking place in December 2022 at Tawang in the state of Arunachal
Pradesh. At the heart of the conflict is a 3,440 km-long disputed border in the
Himalayan region, which is poorly defined. The shifting rivers, lakes, and
snowcaps along the frontier only exacerbate the problem, bringing soldiers face
to face at numerous points.
Bilateral Meeting Scheduled for Indian and
Chinese Defense Ministers in Delhi
In the midst of
heightened tensions, China's defense ministry remains undaunted, declaring that
Mr. Li will make an appearance at the Delhi conference and engage with
delegates from other relevant countries to exchange ideas on regional and
international issues, including defense and security cooperation. Additionally,
Mr. Li is scheduled to have a one-on-one meeting with Indian Defence Minister
Rajnath Singh while in Delhi.
SCO Summit: India-China conflict in the
spotlight as Russia's Defence Minister joins in-person, Pakistan's virtually
The visit comes
just days after India and China concluded their 18th round of military talks
aimed at resolving the border dispute. As a result, all eyes will be on the SCO
meeting, with Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu also expected to attend
in person and Pakistan's Khawaja Asif joining virtually.
India's Chairmanship of SCO: A New Era of
Cooperation or a Clash of Titans?
What's more, next
week, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is set to attend an
SCO foreign ministers' meeting in India, marking the first time a top Pakistani
government official has visited India in years. All of this is set against the
backdrop of India's recent appointment as chair of the SCO in 2023. The SCO
came into existence in 2001 when China, Russia, and four Central Asian nations
united to establish a coalition aimed at curbing the impact of Western
alliances like NATO. India and Pakistan hopped aboard in 2017, marking a
significant turning point for the organization.
SCO Summit: Can High-Profile Attendees Bring an
End to the India-China Border Dispute?
With so many
high-profile attendees at this year's meeting, all eyes will be on the
discussions that take place. Will they be enough to resolve the simmering
tensions between these two nations? Only time will tell.