SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting Highlights India-China Divide on LAC Situation

India and China remain at odds over the situation at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh, with both sides offering different interpretations of the status quo. While China has blamed India for violating past agreements, India has warned that the overall bilateral relationship is at stake due to the tensions at the border. The word "disengagement" has disappeared from China's official statements on the border stand-off, as Beijing appears to offer New Delhi to accept the "new normal". A Chinese scholar has taken a pessimistic view of India-China relations going forward, citing a lack of forward momentum, normal cooperation, and strategic mutual trust.