New Delhi: Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu arrived in Delhi today to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Defense Ministers’ meeting to be held in the national capital on Friday.
Li Shangfu will also participate in a bilateral meeting with his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh.

China’s defense minister is visiting for the first time since the border breach in Kalwan.

India and China recently held the 18th round of the India-China Corps Commander level meeting at the Sushul-Moldo border crossing point on the Chinese side.

During the 18th round of Corps Commander Level Meeting, India and China agreed to maintain security and stability on the ground in the western sector of the LAC.

The meeting took place after a gap of five months. The last meeting between the two sides at the corps commander level was held in December last year.

Meanwhile, Indian Defense Minister is also scheduled to meet Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. The Russian Defense Minister last visited India in December 2021 for the India-Russia 2 2 Ministerial Dialogue.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is an intergovernmental organization established in 2001. Apart from India, SCO members include Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Apart from the member states, two observer countries, Belarus and Iran, will participate in the SCO Defense Ministers’ meeting, a Defense Ministry statement said.

The defense ministers will discuss regional peace and security, counter-terrorism efforts within the SCO and effective multilateral initiatives, the statement said.

The theme of India’s Chairmanship of SCO in 2023 is ‘Secure-SCO’. India attaches special importance to the SCO in promoting multilateralism, political, security, economic and people-to-people ties in the region.

The ongoing engagement with the SCO has helped India improve its relations with countries in the region with whom India has shared civilizational ties and is considered India’s extended neighbour.

The SCO pursues its policy based on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, non-interference in internal affairs, equality of all member states and mutual understanding and respect for the opinions of each of them.