Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to meet Chinese counterpart at 9.30 pm: Report

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is scheduled to meet his Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghe at 9.30 pm Friday in Moscow on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, ANI reported quoting sources. 

Amid the standoff between the two countries at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, Chinese Defence Minister, Wei Fenghe, had sought a meeting with Singh on the sidelines of a key SCO meet. According to ANI sources, the Chinese side conveyed to the Indian mission its keenness to have a meeting between the two defence ministers on Thursday.

India has urged China to sincerely engage with it to restore peace and tranquillity in border areas through complete disengagement and de-escalation.

READ | Rajnath Singh Holds Talks With Russian Counterpart To Bolster Defence, Strategic Cooperation

Tensions flared up in eastern Ladakh after China unsuccessfully attempted to occupy Indian territory in the Southern Bank of Pangong lake four days back when the two sides were engaged in diplomatic and military talks to resolve the festering border row. India occupied a number of strategic heights on the southern bank of Pangong lake and strengthened its presence in Finger 2 and Finger 3 areas in the region to thwart any Chinese actions. China has strongly objected to India's move.

'Talks only way forward for solution'

India on Thursday said the border tension in Ladakh over the past four months is a "direct result" of Chinese actions aimed at effecting unilateral change in the status quo of the region and asserted that the only way forward to resolve it was through negotiations. At an online media briefing, MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said the Chinese actions resulted in "violation" of the bilateral agreements and protocol which ensured peace and tranquillity in the border areas for close to three decades.

The Chief of Army Staff, General MM Naravane, concluded a two-day visit to Leh on Friday and urged all ranks to remain vigilant and maintain a high order of operational readiness amid simmering tensions with the Chinese side. The COAS arrived at Leh a day earlier and proceeded to forward areas to undertake a firsthand assessment of the situation along the LAC.

READ | On Leh Visit, Army Chief Tells Jawans To 'remain Vigilant' Amid LAC Faceoff

READ | Rajnath Singh Lauds Russian Scientists For Developing COVID-19 Vaccine