Chinese, Indian defense ministers hold bilateral meeting: Chinese Defense Ministry
Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun held separate meetings in Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province on Thursday with Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbayev, Uzbek Defense Minister Shukhrat Kholmukhammedov, Kazakh Defense Minister Dauren Kosanov, Tajik Defense Minister Emomali Sobirzoda and Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, according to a statement released by official WeChat account of China's Ministry of National Defense.
The SCO is an important force in practicing true multilateralism and safeguarding global strategic stability, Dong said. He said this meeting has sent a clear signal to the international community that member states are committed to the "Shanghai Spirit" and to deepening unity and cooperation.
Dong expressed the hope that all parties would work together to implement the consensus reached at the meeting, jointly respond to the severe impact of unilateralism, protectionism, and hegemonism and inject more certainty and positive energy into regional prosperity and stability.
China is willing to strengthen coordination with the defense departments and militaries of member states, promote progress in defense and security cooperation and contribute to building a closer SCO community with a shared future, Dong added.
The SCO Defense Ministers' Meeting was held from Wednesday to Thursday. Rajnath Singh attended the event, and Indian media noted that he is the first Indian defense minister to visit China since the 2020 China-India border standoff. His visit "marks a significant diplomatic development as both countries cautiously work to restore functional ties after years of frozen engagement."
The Global Times reporter saw Singh arriving at the Qingdao International Convention Center on Thursday afternoon, where bilateral meetings between Chinese and foreign representatives were held.
According to China's Ministry of National Defense, Singh said that India and China are neighbors that cannot be separated and share a long history of interactions. He was quoted as saying that India does not seek conflict or confrontation with China and is willing to properly manage differences, enhance communication and mutual trust and promote steady development of bilateral relations.
Qian Feng, director of the research department at the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University, told the Global Times on Thursday that Singh's participation sends a positive signal. It shows India's recognition of the SCO as a valuable platform for dialogue and reflects respect for the host country, while also signaling India's willingness to continue improving relations with China.
Meanwhile, in response to Indian media reports claiming that "India refused to sign the SCO Defense Ministers' joint statement due to differences over terrorism-related issues," Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesperson at China's Ministry of National Defense, stated at a press briefing on Thursday, "As far as I know, with the concerted efforts of all parties, the SCO Defense Ministers' Meeting concluded successfully."
Commenting on this, Qian said that the SCO, as a regional multilateral cooperation mechanism, has always upheld the "Shanghai Spirit" of equality, consultation and mutual benefit. Its core value lies in providing a platform for member states to build consensus, deepen cooperation, and enhance strategic mutual trust.
"The longstanding differences between India and Pakistan are well known," Qian noted. "China and other SCO members have consistently called for resolving such issues through bilateral channels or existing mechanisms for the benefit of regional peace."
The expert noted that although some Indian media outlets unilaterally claimed that India refused to sign the joint statement due to disagreements over terrorism, they overlooked the fact that the SCO is a platform for building multilateral consensus, not a venue for resolving specific bilateral issues between India and Pakistan.
"China's response once again demonstrates the SCO's ability to transcend bilateral disputes and focus on multilateral cooperation," Qian said.