NEW DELHI: Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Friday met his Chinese counterpart Dong Jun in Qingdao and delivered a strong message on the future of bilateral ties between the two nations.
The ministers held talks on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers' meeting.
"Held talks with Admiral Dong Jun, the Defence Minister of China, on the sidelines of the SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting in Qingdao. We had a constructive and forward-looking exchange of views on issues about bilateral relations," Singh said in a social media post on Friday.
Singh's visit to Qingdao coincided with the resumption of the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra in Tibet.
It is taking place after a gap of nearly five years. The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra was suspended initially in 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequently because of the military standoff between the two sides on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.
"Expressed my happiness on the restarting of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra after a gap of nearly six years," said Singh.
"It is incumbent on both sides to maintain this positive momentum and avoid adding new complexities in the bilateral relationship," he added.
Singh's visit to China came amid efforts by both New Delhi and Beijing to reset their ties following an understanding last October to end the military standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.
The defence minister also presented a Madhubani painting from Bihar to his Chinese counterpart.
This traditional art form, also known as Mithila painting, originates in Bihar’s Mithila region. It is characterised by intricate line drawings filled with bright colours, patterns, and tribal motifs. These paintings are popular for their vivid earthy tones and distinctive designs.
India takes tough stand on terrorism
Singh's statement comes a day after India took a firm stand at the SCO meeting by refusing to sign a joint statement that would have diluted India's position on critical issues, particularly concerning terrorism and regional security.
Given the SCO norm stipulating consensus, the statement couldn't be adopted despite overnight talks, as Singh made it clear that perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of terror acts, including cross-border terrorism, must be held accountable.
There can be no double standards on this, Singh said, speaking at the 10-nation SCO meet with his Pakistani and Chinese counterparts Khawaja Asif and Admiral Dong Jun, among others, in attendance.
Singh rejected the statement after finding that Pakistan, with help of current SCO chair China, opposed mention of the Pahalgam massacre and instead wanted "terrorist activities" in Balochistan and the situation in J&K to figure in it.
Speaking at the meet, Singh said peace and prosperity cannot co-exist with terrorism and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) in the hands of non-state actors and terror groups. "Dealing with these challenges requires decisive action and we must unite in our fight against these evils for our collective safety and security," Singh said.
In a clear reference to Pakistan, he said, "Some countries use crossborder terrorism as an instrument of policy and provide shelter to terrorists. There should be no place for such double standards. SCO should not hesitate to criticise such nations."
Doval trip
On June 23, National Security Advisor Ajit Dovfal held a meeting with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi in Beijing and reviewed recent developments in India-China relations and underscored the need to promote the overall development of the bilateral ties, including by fostering greater people-to-people ties.
During the meeting, NSA Doval emphasised the need to counter terrorism in all its forms and manifestations to maintain peace and stability in the region. The two leaders also spoke about other bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest, according to the statement shared by the Ministry of External Affairs.
The ministers held talks on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers' meeting.
"Held talks with Admiral Dong Jun, the Defence Minister of China, on the sidelines of the SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting in Qingdao. We had a constructive and forward-looking exchange of views on issues about bilateral relations," Singh said in a social media post on Friday.
Held talks with Admiral Don Jun, the Defence Minister of China, on the sidelines of SCO Defence Minitsers’ Meeting in Qingdao. We had a constructive and forward looking exchange of views on issues pertaining to bilateral relations.
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) June 27, 2025
Expressed my happiness on restarting of the… pic.twitter.com/dHj1OuHKzE
Singh's visit to Qingdao coincided with the resumption of the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra in Tibet.
It is taking place after a gap of nearly five years. The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra was suspended initially in 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequently because of the military standoff between the two sides on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.
"Expressed my happiness on the restarting of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra after a gap of nearly six years," said Singh.
"It is incumbent on both sides to maintain this positive momentum and avoid adding new complexities in the bilateral relationship," he added.
Singh's visit to China came amid efforts by both New Delhi and Beijing to reset their ties following an understanding last October to end the military standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.
The defence minister also presented a Madhubani painting from Bihar to his Chinese counterpart.
During his visit to China for the SCO Defence Ministers' Meet, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh presented a
— ANI (@ANI) June 27, 2025
Madhubani painting from Bihar, to his Chinese counterpart.
This painting has its origins in the Mithila region of Bihar. It is also known as Mithila or Madhubani art. It… pic.twitter.com/z5t5xakpHR
This traditional art form, also known as Mithila painting, originates in Bihar’s Mithila region. It is characterised by intricate line drawings filled with bright colours, patterns, and tribal motifs. These paintings are popular for their vivid earthy tones and distinctive designs.
India takes tough stand on terrorism
Singh's statement comes a day after India took a firm stand at the SCO meeting by refusing to sign a joint statement that would have diluted India's position on critical issues, particularly concerning terrorism and regional security.
Given the SCO norm stipulating consensus, the statement couldn't be adopted despite overnight talks, as Singh made it clear that perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of terror acts, including cross-border terrorism, must be held accountable.
There can be no double standards on this, Singh said, speaking at the 10-nation SCO meet with his Pakistani and Chinese counterparts Khawaja Asif and Admiral Dong Jun, among others, in attendance.
Singh rejected the statement after finding that Pakistan, with help of current SCO chair China, opposed mention of the Pahalgam massacre and instead wanted "terrorist activities" in Balochistan and the situation in J&K to figure in it.
Speaking at the meet, Singh said peace and prosperity cannot co-exist with terrorism and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) in the hands of non-state actors and terror groups. "Dealing with these challenges requires decisive action and we must unite in our fight against these evils for our collective safety and security," Singh said.
In a clear reference to Pakistan, he said, "Some countries use crossborder terrorism as an instrument of policy and provide shelter to terrorists. There should be no place for such double standards. SCO should not hesitate to criticise such nations."
Doval trip
On June 23, National Security Advisor Ajit Dovfal held a meeting with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi in Beijing and reviewed recent developments in India-China relations and underscored the need to promote the overall development of the bilateral ties, including by fostering greater people-to-people ties.
During the meeting, NSA Doval emphasised the need to counter terrorism in all its forms and manifestations to maintain peace and stability in the region. The two leaders also spoke about other bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest, according to the statement shared by the Ministry of External Affairs.
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