Defence minister Rajnath Singh likely to meet Chinese counterpart Dong Jun on sidelines of ASEAN meet in Laos

Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is slated to meet his Chinese counterpart, Dong Jun, during the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus in Laos. This potential meeting, the first since 2020 border clashes, signals a step towards improved diplomatic relations as the two nations recently concluded military disengagement in eastern Ladakh.

Defence minister rajnath Singh (Left) and his Chinese counterpart Dong Jun (Right) EW DELHI: NDefence minister Rajnath Singh may meet his Chinese counterpart Dong Jun during his official visit to Vientiane, Lao PDR to attend the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus ( ADMM-Plus ). On Monday, the defence ministry released a statement stating that Rajnath Singh will be on a three-day visit to Lao PDR. On the sidelines of the 11th ADMM-Plus, the defence minister is expected to hold bilateral meetings with participating counterparts from USA, Australia, Japan, Lao PDR, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, South Korea and China, which will be the first ministerial-level meeting since the two militaries completed disengagement in eastern Ladakh last month and the India resumed patrolling in the Depsang region last week .

"ADMM is the highest defence consultative and cooperative mechanism in ASEAN. ADMM-Plus is a platform for ASEAN member states (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam) and its eight Dialogue Partners (India, US, China, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand) to strengthen security and defence cooperation," the statement read. India became the dialogue partner of ASEAN in 1992 and the inaugural ADMM-Plus was convened in Hanoi, Vietnam on October 12, 2010.

Since 2017, ADMM-Plus Ministers have been meeting annually to bolster the cooperation amongst ASEAN and the Plus countries. Lao PDR is the chair and host of 11th ADMM-Plus. This will be the initial meeting between Singh and Dong, who was appointed as naval Commander in December 2023.

Previously, defence ministers met when Li Shangfu visited Delhi for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in April 2023. This interaction represents a significant step towards rebuilding diplomatic relations between Delhi and Beijing, following the conflicts in Galwan and Pangong Lake areas in May and June 2020, which resulted in 20 Indian soldiers' casualties and increased military presence on both sides..