Rajnath arrives after Doval’s SCO visit to China.

• National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh are set to visit China for meetings of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
• The visits coincide with the arrival of the first batch of pilgrims from India to Tibet, who will reach Mount Kailash and the Mansarovar Lake for the first time in six years.
• The resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra is expected to follow up with the resumption of direct flights between the two countries in the next few months.
• Doval met with Foreign Minister and Special Representative on border talks Wang Yi, expressing the need to strengthen communication, enhance mutual trust, and work hard to solve practical problems.
• The meetings will also discuss the impact of military escalation on trade, energy, and geopolitics in the region.
• The SCO meetings are expected to lead up to the SCO Foreign Ministers’ meeting in July and the SCO Summit at the end of August in Tianjin.