India seeks 'permanent solution' to border dispute with China

Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh has told his Chinese counterpart Dong Jun that the two countries should aim for a "permanent solution" to the long-running border dispute, Reuters reported.

Singh met Jun on the sidelines of a meeting of defense ministers within the framework of the "Shanghai Cooperation Organization" in the Chinese city of Qingdao on Thursday, while emphasizing the need to resolve disputes between the two countries through a structured diplomatic roadmap, the Indian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

The world's two most populous nations, both nuclear powers, share a 3,800-kilometer border, largely undefined and disputed in the Himalayas.

Although this border has been largely peaceful in recent decades, a deadly clash between their troops in 2020 resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese soldiers.

After the clash, both armies deployed tens of thousands of troops in the mountains, until reaching full agreement in October to withdraw, an action that brought improvement in interstate relations.

During the meeting with Dong, Singh also called for overcoming the lack of trust created after the 2020 clash, the official New Delhi statement further said.