Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu will attend the SCO Defense Ministers’ meeting | Photo: CNN

Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh will chair the SCO Defense Ministers’ meeting today in New Delhi.

A wide range of discussions on international and regional security are expected to be raised. The geopolitical environment of the Eurasian continent and non-traditional security challenges are likely to be covered, particularly the impact of the war in Ukraine and the growing insecurity in Afghanistan.

China’s newly appointed Defense Minister, General Li Shangfu, will attend. This will be the first time since the 2020 Galwan Valley crisis that China’s Defense Minister will visit India. The visit comes as military commanders from the two countries held a new round of talks aimed at resolving existing border friction points. To date, five of the seven friction points in Eastern Ladakh have been resolved.

Ahead of the SCO Defense Ministers’ meeting, General Li is expected to meet with his Indian counterpart. It is unlikely, however, that the two sides will reach a breakthrough on remaining issues. India is expected to demand the disengagement of troops at Demchok and Depsang points, with China unlikely to concede given the economic and strategic imperative of linking Eastern Ladakh to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.