Pakistan, June 27 -- NEW DELHI - Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has called for a "permanent solution" to the long-standing border dispute with China during a meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Dong Jun. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) defence ministers' summit held in Qingdao on Thursday.

Singh emphasized the need for a structured roadmap to resolve all pending issues between the two nations. He also stressed the importance of rebuilding trust, which was deeply affected by the deadly 2020 military clash in the Himalayas. That incident left 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers dead and led to a prolonged military standoff.

India and China share a 3,800-kilometre disputed bor...