Rajnath Singh and Ajit Doval Likely to Visit China for Upcoming SCO Summit

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval are expected to travel to China later this month to attend key Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meetings. According to sources, Doval will be in China from June 24–26, while Singh is likely to travel from June 25–27. These meetings are being held in Qingdao as preparatory engagements for the SCO leaders’ summit scheduled in Tianjin, which will be hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

This visit marks the first such high-level interaction between Indian and Chinese officials — particularly Singh and Doval — and their Chinese counterparts since renewed military tensions between India and Pakistan erupted in May. The tensions were triggered by India’s launch of Operation Sindoor in retaliation to the Pahalgam terror attack. During the operation, Indian forces intercepted and neutralised advanced foreign weapons used by Pakistan, including Chinese-origin PL-15 air-to-air missiles and Turkish-made Byker YIHA III kamikaze drones. Both India’s Defence Minister and NSA will participate in meetings where Pakistani officials — including Defence Minister Khwaja Asif and NSA cum DG ISIS Lt. Gen. Asim Malik — are also expected to be present.

This diplomatic engagement also signals efforts by India and China to mend bilateral ties that have remained strained since 2020, following Chinese incursions in eastern Ladakh that led to a prolonged military standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). In December last year, NSA Doval visited Beijing for talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, where both countries reached a “six-point consensus.” This included the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, trans-border river data sharing, and Nathula trade.

That meeting was significant as it was the first interaction between the Special Representatives (SRs) of both nations since tensions flared in 2020 in the Western Sector of the India-China border. The SRs also discussed the disengagement process, and an agreement reached in October 2024 has since allowed for limited patrolling and grazing in border regions. The SR-level talks came just weeks after a new border patrolling arrangement was announced on October 21, which was followed by a meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia on October 23.

The upcoming visits by Singh and Doval are expected to focus on critical issues including further de-escalation along the LAC, withdrawal of additional troops, and confidence-building measures. Despite some diplomatic progress, around 50,000 to 60,000 troops from both nations remain deployed at the LAC, indicating the fragile nature of peace in the region.

India and China are also exploring ways to resume direct commercial flights, ease visa restrictions for Chinese nationals, and enhance cooperation on transnational rivers such as the Brahmaputra. Recently, India expressed support for China’s SCO presidency and has agreed to collaborate on preparations for the 24th Special Representatives’ Meeting on the Boundary Question.

Sources noted that India remains cautious, engaging with China diplomatically while keeping “eyes wide open,” given the continuing abnormal situation at the border.