New Delhi: China's Defence Minister General Li Shangfu to meet Rajnath Singh, first since Galwan

New Delhi : China's Defence Minister General Li Shangfu will meet his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh on Thursday for the first time since troops of the two nations faced a violent clash in eastern Ladakh's Galwan valley in May 2020.

The two Defence Ministers' meeting follows at least 19 rounds of talks between the military commanders of India and China amid the stand-off in eastern Ladakh region.

"The Defence Ministers will discuss amongst other issues concerning regional peace and security, counter-terrorism efforts within SCO and effective multilateralism," the government said. General Li's visit is part of the meeting of defence ministers of member-nations of the regional grouping Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, or SCO. The SCO pursues policies based on principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations and it mandates non-interference in internal affairs of each nation. Considered close to Chinese President Xi Jinping, General Li's India visit is regarded as significant amid the stand-off along the Line of Actual Control, or LAC.

General Li and Singh are likely to discuss the progress of the military and diplomatic talks to resolve the stand-off.