Defense Minister Rajnath Singh’s meeting with his Chinese counterpart centered on resolving the prolonged border tension between India and China

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh pushed for the restoration of status quo ante at all friction points in eastern Ladakh in a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Gen. Wei Fenghe on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting in Moscow on Friday.

The meeting was centered on resolving the prolonged border standoff, sources were quoted saying in a Hindustan Times report.

“The meeting between Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh and Chinese Defence Minister, General Wei Fenghe in Moscow is over. The meeting lasted for 2 hours and 20 minutes,” Singh’s office tweeted.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has held telephonic talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the border standoff.

The report by wire service PTI published by Hindustan Times quoted sources as saying that the Indian delegation objected to the Chinese army’s recent attempts of transgression in the southern bank of Pangong Lake in eastern Ladakh and insisted on the resolution of the standoff through talks.

“Peaceful stable and secure region of SCO member states, which is home to over 40 percent of the global population, demands a climate of trust and cooperation, non-aggression, respect for international rules and norms, sensitivity to each other’s interest and peaceful resolution of differences,” Singh said earlier at the SCO meet.

The report also quoted Chief of Army Staff Gen MM Naravane as calling the situation at the LAC “tense”. He, however, said that the Indian Army is prepared for all contingencies.

Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla has said that it cannot be “business as usual” in bilateral ties unless there is peace and tranquility in the border areas, according to the report.

Meanwhile, Brigade commanders of the Indian and Chinese armies held a nearly three-hour-long interaction near Chushul in eastern Ladakh, exploring ways to bring down tensions. The outcome of the interaction was not immediately known, said the report.