What Did Rajnath Singh-Li Shangfu Meeting Bring Forth?

There has been much speculation about the Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu attending the SCO Defence Ministers Meet at New Delhi on April 28, 2023, and had a bilateral meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on April 27. The 18th Corps Commander-level India-China talks on April 23, 2023 in Eastern Ladakh had failed to make any headway.

Ahead of the bilateral defence minister’s meeting, locals in Ladakh had launched fresh protests against the loss of traditional grazing areas and forced migration due to the Chinese invasion in 2020. Therefore, it was expected that Shangfu would be given a stern message during the bilateral defence ministers meeting. Incidentally the Pakistani army chief was visiting Beijing on April 26.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a nearly 45-minute bilateral meeting with his Chinese counterpart on April 27, 2023. A statement issued by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said that the two ministers had "frank" discussions about the developments in the India-China border areas as well as bilateral relations.

The statement said, “The Raksha Mantri ‘categorically’ conveyed that development of relations between India and China is premised on prevalence of peace and tranquillity at the borders. All issues at the LAC need to be resolved in accordance with existing bilateral agreements and commitments.” He also said that violation of existing agreements has "eroded" the entire basis of bilateral relations and disengagement at the border will logically be followed with de-escalation.

The above bilateral meeting between the two defence ministers was more diplomatic than specific. Rajnath Singh did not convey that the PLA should fall back to the pre Apr-May 2020 locations despite the locals of Ladakh protesting loss of traditional grazing grounds before this meeting. The need for the PLA to withdraw for Depsang and Demchok should have also been specifically pointed out to Shangfu to see his reaction.

Media has quoted unnamed sources saying that China presented a new proposal to re-start military-to-military cooperation “just before the bilateral meeting” but it was rejected with the message that it can only be considered if the situation at the border returns to normal. This appears to be a deliberate plant without mentioning who exactly made this new proposal and what its wording was.

Why would China do so before the bilateral and not during the bilateral, if it was keen at all? Moreover, Chinese officials have been saying periodically that the situation along the LAC is stable, without ever calling for re-starting military-to-military cooperation.

If we insist that military-to-military cooperation is premised on prevalence of peace and tranquillity at the borders, why then are we calling for round after round of the Corps Commander-level talks?

Media’s emphasis on Rajnath not shaking hands with Shangfu is also laughable when Rajnath folded his hands in ‘Namaste’ instead of merely nodding his head with a smile. The fact is that one needs ammunition to fire and Rajnath had none. Shangfu must be laughing inwardly at Rajnath’s discomfiture and tongue-tied narrative, especially knowing his earlier exhortations that “not even one inch of territory has been lost”.

It is significant to note that the response by the Chinese defence minister at the bilateral meeting has been completely missed out by the media. This is obviously by design because it is unthinkable that in a nearly 45-minute meeting Shangfu sat mum, dumbstruck with Rajnath’s personality in their first face-to-face meeting.

Among other things, he would have definitely said that the situation on the border remains stable, which Chinese officials have been saying over the past several months, even despite the PLA attempted incursion in Arunachal Pradesh last year.

A subsequent new report says that “after” the bilateral meeting, China issued a statement saying, “The situation on the China-India border is generally stable and the two sides have maintained communication through military and diplomatic channels. The two sides should take a long-term view, place the border issue in an appropriate position in bilateral relations, and promote the transition of the border situation to normalised management.”

It is more than evident that China doesn’t see the need of changing the present status quo. India needs to develop a more muscular political, diplomatic and military policy against China, military muscularity being contingent on political will. With clear designs on Indian Territory, China cares two hoots about military-to-military cooperation.

It is more than happy making even more money through bilateral trade than before the PLA invasion in Ladakh during 2020. Besides, we know why it does not need to open police stations in India like it has done in the West.

Prakash Katoch is a veteran of the Indian Army. Views expressed are personal.