Respect territorial integrity: Ajit Doval slams China at India-led SCO

Ajit Doval, India's National Security Advisor (NSA), took a veiled dig at China during a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on Wednesday, saying that members of the group must respect the territorial integrity of other countries. Doval, who hosted the meeting in Delhi and was joined by other SCO members, said that members must not seek unilateral military superiority in adjacent regions.

• Border tensions between India and China have escalated since 2020. Notably, both countries have varied perceptions of the Line of Actual Control (LAC), which leads to frequent friction.
• Reportedly, the Galwan Valley clash of June 2020 was the deadliest in 46 years. In December 2022, troops from both countries clashed once more at the border in Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang Sector.

At the meeting, Doval said terrorism is among the greatest threats to international peace and security. "Any act of terrorism...regardless of its motivation, is unjustifiable," he said. Doval also noted that the region under SCO is affected by global security challenges. He added the SCO Charter could show the way forward, adding that it calls for cooperation among the members to prevent international conflict.

Doval further said that India was committed to bringing Iran's Chabahar port within the framework of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC). Doval's counterparts from China and Pakistan also joined the meeting virtually. Notably, apart from China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), India has also been opposing the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which passes through the disputed region of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

The secretary of Russia's Security Council, senior officials of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and a representative of the SCO's Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) also attended the meeting. The SCO has four observer states—Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran and Mongolia, and six dialogue partners—Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Turkey. Per reports, an SCO meeting of foreign ministers will be held in Goa in May.

The SCO is the world's largest regional organization, which encompasses around 60% of the land area in Europe and Asia, 40% of the global population, and 30% of the total GDP. It started in 2001 as an agreement among China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan for greater cooperation. India and Pakistan joined the SCO in 2017, while Belarus has applied for full membership.