India's Defense Minister Rajnath Singh has urged Beijing to finalize the demarcation of the disputed Himalayan frontier during his first official visit to China since the deadly 2020 border clashes. Singh made the appeal in a meeting with Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) gathering of defense chiefs in Qingdao.

Singh emphasized the importance of “revitalizing established mechanisms” to achieve a “permanent solution of border demarcation,” the Indian Ministry of Defence said in a statement released Friday. The goal, he stressed, was to maintain “peace and tranquility” along the world’s most militarized frontier.

The appeal is one of the most explicit by a senior Indian official in over a decade, reviving calls first made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014 during a visit by President Xi Jinping. Then, Modi had stated that clarifying the Line of Actual Control (LAC) would help stabilize relations.

China Avoids Mention of Border Demarcation

While New Delhi publicly pressed for a permanent resolution, China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency issued a statement merely noting that India expressed willingness to resolve disputes. It made no mention of Singh’s call for formal demarcation.

The 3,488-kilometer (2,167-mile) border between the two nations remains unmarked, with differing interpretations of the LAC frequently triggering tensions. These disputes culminated in a deadly June 2020 clash in the Galwan Valley, where at least 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese troops were killed.

Following that escalation, both countries deployed thousands of troops, along with missiles and combat aircraft, to reinforce their positions along the contested zones.

Signs of Diplomatic Thaw

The latest meeting comes amid cautious diplomatic engagement. Relations began to show signs of improvement after a bilateral meeting between Modi and Xi at the 2024 BRICS summit in Russia. India and China have since resumed talks through appointed special envoys, with another round expected to take place in India soon, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.

In addition to his talks with China, Singh also met with Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov in Qingdao. The two sides reportedly discussed accelerating the delivery of S-400 air defense systems, Su-30 MKI upgrades, and other critical military procurements.