India will raise its voice against terrorism in China, Rajnath Singh will lead the SCO meeting

The two-day meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) defence ministers is to open from Wednesday (June 25) in the Chinese city of Qingdao. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is leading a high-level Indian delegation for the same.

The two sides, during the meeting, would deliberate on regional and international peace and security, terrorism, and cooperation between the defence ministries of SCO members. After India's diplomatic warning to Pakistan-backed cross-border terror, Rajnath would emphasize building cooperation between members to fight against terrorism.

This is the first visit of a senior Indian minister to China after bilateral relations came under severe strain following the military conflict on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh in May 2020. National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval is also visiting China to attend a conference of top national security officials of the SCO.

But on this occasion, the Defence Minister will once again commit India to SCO principles, lay out India's vision for global peace and security, and call for collective efforts to root out terrorism and extremism from the region and emphasize the need to increase trade, economic cooperation, and connectivity among SCO countries.

He will also hold bilateral meetings with the defense ministers of some partner countries, including China and Russia. It is worth noting that India attaches special importance to the SCO in promoting political stability, economic security, and people-to-people contact in the region.

The SCO follows its policy based on the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity of nations, non-interference in internal affairs, mutual respect, understanding, and equality of all member countries. The SCO, formed in the year 2001, is an intergovernmental organization. India became its full member in 2017 and assumed its presidency in the year 2023.

Apart from India, the members of the SCO include Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, and Belarus. China has assumed the presidency of the SCO for the year 2025 under the theme 'Continuity of Shanghai Spirit: SCO on the move'.