India, China hold talks on Shanghai Cooperation, signal push for coordinated engagement

India and China held their first bilateral consultations focused exclusively on the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in New Delhi, underscoring a shared intent to deepen engagement within the regional grouping despite broader complexities in ties, the Ministry of External Affairs announced on Friday.

The two-day consultations, held from April 16 to 17, brought together India’s SCO National Coordinator Alok A. Dimri and China’s National Coordinator Yan Wenbin, who led their respective delegations.

According to official details, the discussions focused on the implementation of decisions taken by SCO leaders and the future trajectory of the organisation, which has emerged as a key platform for regional security, economic cooperation and connectivity across Eurasia.

“Both sides agreed to continue and consolidate cooperation and consultations in SCO matters,” the MEA said, indicating convergence on the need for sustained coordination within the bloc.

In a parallel engagement, the two delegations jointly called on Secretary (West) Sibi George to review ongoing cooperation under the SCO framework. The interaction covered a broad spectrum of areas, including security collaboration, trade linkages, connectivity initiatives and people-to-people exchanges—pillars central to the organisation’s evolving agenda.

The consultations assume significance as they come at a time when India and China are navigating a complex bilateral relationship, even as both remain key stakeholders in multilateral platforms such as the SCO. The decision to institutionalise dialogue on SCO-specific issues suggests a pragmatic approach aimed at leveraging common ground in regional forums.

Both sides agreed to continue such consultations in the future, signalling that the mechanism could evolve into a regular channel for aligning positions and advancing shared priorities within the SCO framework.