Chinese defence minister to visit India to attend SCO meet

Beijing: China on Tuesday announced that its Defence Minister General Li Shangfu will visit India this week to attend the meeting of SCO defence ministers from April 27 during which he is expected to hold talks with his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh on ending the prolonged eastern Ladakh standoff which has severely strained bilateral ties.

Considered as a close associate of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Gen. Li’s India visit is regarded significant as it comes amid the vexed standoff between armies of India and China in eastern Ladakh since May 2020.

“Upon invitation, Chinese State Councillor and Defence Minister General Li Shangfu will attend the meeting of the Council of Defense Ministers of the Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in New Delhi, India, from April 27-28” China’s Ministry of National Defence (MND) said in a statement.

Dear Reader,
Over the past four years, EastMojo revolutionised the coverage of Northeast India through our sharp, impactful, and unbiased coverage. And we are not saying this: you, our readers, say so about us. Thanks to you, we have become Northeast India’s largest, independent, multimedia digital news platform.
Now, we need your help to sustain what you started.
We are fiercely protective of our ‘independent’ status and would like to remain so: it helps us provide quality journalism free from biases and agendas. From travelling to the remotest regions to cover various issues to paying local reporters honest wages to encourage them, we spend our money on where it matters.
Now, we seek your support in remaining truly independent, unbiased, and objective. We want to show the world that it is possible to cover issues that matter to the people without asking for corporate and/or government support. We can do it without them; we cannot do it without you.
Support independent journalism, subscribe to EastMojo.

Thank you,
Karma Paljor
Editor-in-Chief, eastmojo.com

SUBSCRIBE HERE

‘Drought’ amid flood: Despite rains, Guwahati citizens thirst for water

Still India’s sporting powerhouse: Manipur athletes fight for normalcy

Beyond Pride, the dreaded reality: Why attacks on Assam’s transpersons are rising

Mizoram: How a science centre became home to Kuki, Meitei orphans from Churachandpur

“During the meeting, General Li will address the conference and meet with the heads of delegations from relevant countries to communicate and exchange views on the issues of international and regional situation, as well as defence and security cooperation”, the statement said.

Gen. Li is widely expected to hold a bilateral meeting with Defence Minister Singh and discuss the progress of the military and diplomatic talks to resolve the festering standoff.

Also Read | India, China agree to ‘speed up’ resolution of Ladakh standoff