New Delhi, April 28: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on April 27 took a firm stand line on the India-China border standoff over Beijing's continuous attempts to violate the agreements along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.

 

 

 

This came as Singh met State Councillor and Minister of National Defence of China General Li Shangfu for the first time in India after the Galwan Valley clash following which the bilateral ties between India and China plunged to the lowest. The two Ministers had "frank discussions about the developments in the India-China border areas as well as bilateral relations".

 

Rajnath stressed that bilateral ties between India and China have eroded, and that any form of bilateral engagement between New Delhi and Beijing would be a function of peace and tranquility along the Line of Actual Control.

 

 

Singh "categorically conveyed that development of relations between India and China is premised on prevalence of peace and tranquillity at the borders". He stressed that "all issues at the LAC need to be resolved in accordance with existing bilateral agreements and commitments".

 

Firmly, Rajnath Singh reiterated that violation of existing agreements has eroded the entire basis of bilateral relations and disengagement at the border will logically be followed with de-escalation.

 

The Chinese Defence Minister is in Delhi to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ Meeting on Friday.