What is the 4-pronged approach Rajnath Singh shared with China for better ties?

On Thursday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met his Chinese counterpart Admiral Dong Jun on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s meeting of defence ministers.

Rajnath, sharing a four-pronged approach with Dong for better ties, said both countries should seek a “permanent solution” to the border dispute.

India and China share a 3,800-kilometre border in the Himalayas.

This is the highest-level dialogue between the countries in months.

“Held talks with Admiral Don Jun, the Defence Minister of China, on the sidelines of SCO Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Qingdao. We had a constructive and forward looking exchange of views on issues pertaining to bilateral relations,” Rajnath wrote on social media.

The meeting came after India on Thursday refused to sign the SCO document because its concerns over terrorism were not taken into consideration.

The MEA’s Randhir Jaiswal said India’s concerns were “not acceptable to one particular country.”

But what do we know about the four-pronged approach Rajnath shared with Dong?

Let’s take a closer look:

The four-pronged approach

Following the 2024 Disengagement Agreement to the letter: Rajnath said both sides must strictly follow the agreement to disengage at the border signed in October. The agreement covers the sensitive points in Eastern Ladakh including Demchok and Depsang.

Continue efforts to de-escalate : Rajnath said that the efforts to de-escalate and at the border and avoid any new issues along the Line of Actual Control must continue apace.

Accelerated efforts to demarcate and delimit: Rajnath also called for efforts at demarcating and delimiting the border to be sped up. He called for a permanent solution to be found by revitalising the existing mechanism.

Bridging trust deficit: Rajnath also said that the trust gap since the Galwan clash and the border stand-off needs to be bridged. He called for cooperation to reach get the “best mutual benefits” and stability in Asia and the world.

India and China previously met at a high-level to work on the disengagement process at Demchok and Depsang Plains in October 2024.

That development came after intense negotiations with Prime Minister Narendra Modi meeting President Xi Jinping meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan in October 2023.

The SCO is a 10-nation Eurasian security and political grouping whose members include China, Russia, India, Pakistan, and Iran.

Their defence ministers’ meeting was held as a precursor to the annual summit of its leaders set for the autumn.

Kailash Mansarovar Yatra set to resume

Rajnath also said that the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra – which had been suspended since COVID-19 pandemic and then the Galwan Valley clash in 2020 – is set to resume.

This is a gesture from both sides

“Expressed my happiness on restarting of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra after a gap of nearly six years. It is incumbent on both the sides to maintain this positive momentum and avoid adding new complexities in the bilateral relationship,” Rajnath wrote on X.

Rajnath also presented a Madhubani painting from Bihar to Dong.

The painting, which comes from the Mithila region, is known for its line drawings filled in with bright colours and contrasts or patterns.

These paintings are popular because of their tribal motifs and use of bright earthy colours.