In tune with the thaw in India China ties, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is expected to meet his Chinese counterpart Dong Jun on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Vientiane, Laos.
Today, 20th November, I’m leaving for Vientiane to attend the 11th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM Plus) in Lao PDR.
Various regional & international security Issues will be discussed during the meeting. There would also be separate bilateral meetings with my…
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) November 20, 2024
The ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus, an annual forum, brings together ASEAN nations and key global partners like India, China, the United States, and Japan to address regional security challenges.
Singh’s participation underscores India’s growing influence in these multilateral dialogues and its commitment to promoting security in the Indo Pacific.
That aside, the reopening of a high-level communication channel with the Chinese, on the military side, underscores an important point: the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is a powerful force in the Chinese establishment, and although fully under the thumb of President Xi, is listened to with respect.
This despite recent upheavals which has seen a crackdown on corruption and malfeasance, resulting in the fall of Defence Minister Li Shang-fu and others lower down the hierarchy.
Readers will also recall the shake-up in the Strategic Rocket Force last year with some reports alluding to missiles being filled with water in place of fuel. It underscored that China’s effort to modernise the armed forces was being damaged from within, and raised questions about its ability to fight a war.
The meeting with Dong will give India another window to engage with the Chinese military and hopefully further our understanding of how they view India and the world.
Singh will engage with defence ministers from Japan, Australia, and the United States, focusing on securing maritime routes, combating terrorism, and addressing security concerns in the Indo-Pacific, particularly in the South China Sea.
India’s active participation in ADMM-Plus highlights its growing influence in regional security dialogues. A dialogue partner with ASEAN since 1992, India has effectively leveraged the ADMM-Plus platform—established in 2010—to foster multilateral cooperation on security. By addressing shared challenges through this forum, India seeks to shape peace and stability in an increasingly contested geopolitical environment.
