Chinese defence minister Li Shangfu has arrived in India to attend a key safety summit assembly amid strained ties between the international locations.

Mr Li will attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) defence ministers’ assembly on Thursday and Friday in Indian capital Delhi.

At least 20 Indian and 4 Chinese troopers died.

Both sides have additionally had different confrontations since then, with the most recent flare-up taking place in December at Tawang within the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh.

The root reason behind the tensions between the international locations is an ill-defined 3,440km (2,100-mile)-long disputed border within the high-altitude Himalayan area. Rivers, lakes and snowcaps alongside the frontier imply the road can shift, bringing troopers nose to nose at many factors, sparking a confrontation.

China’s defence ministry said on Tuesday that Mr Li will handle the convention in Delhi and “meet with the heads of delegations from relevant countries to communicate and exchange views on the issues of international and regional situation as well as defence and security cooperation”.

Local media has reported that Mr Li and Indian defence minister Rajnath Singh can also maintain a bilateral assembly in Delhi. Both international locations haven’t formally confirmed this.

Mr Li’s go to comes days after India and China concluded the 18th spherical of navy talks to try to resolve the border dispute.

India turned the chair of the SCO in 2023. The organisation was shaped by China, Russia and 4 Central Asian international locations in 2001 as a countermeasure to restrict the affect of Western alliances resembling Nato. India and Pakistan joined the group in 2017.

Russia’s defence minister, Sergei Shoigu can even attend the meet in Delhi, whereas Pakistan’s Khawaja Asif is predicted to hitch just about.

Next week, Pakistan’s overseas minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will attend an SCO overseas ministers’ assembly in India – it is the primary go to by a high Pakistani authorities official to India in years.

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