Indian and Chinese defence ministers are expected to meet next week in Laos, as reported by various sources. The meeting will involve Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Chinese counterpart, Dong Jun. This development follows a series of diplomatic engagements aimed at addressing ongoing tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) between the two nations.

This is expected to be the first ministerial meeting between Indian and Chinese sides since the Kazan meeting between President Xi Jinping and PM Modi, which was seen as a breakthrough in normalisation of ties. 

Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun are likely to meet next week in Laos on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defence Minister's Plus meeting (ADMM +). ADMM Plus is an annual meeting that includes ASEAN defence ministers and defence ministers of eight countries – Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia and the United States.

The recent diplomatic developments between India and China indicate a significant thaw in their historically tense relations. A request has been made by the Chinese side for a meeting between Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun, expected to occur next week in Laos. This meeting is noteworthy as it will be the first ministerial-level dialogue since the recent Kazan summit, where Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met for the first time in five years, marking a potential breakthrough in normalizing ties between the two nations.

The anticipated meeting is part of broader efforts to stabilize bilateral relations and resolve military standoffs that have persisted since 2020. Recent discussions between Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Laos highlighted the urgency of finding resolutions to these issues, emphasizing the need for both nations to respect past agreements regarding boundary management.

This upcoming dialogue reflects a continuing trend of high-level interactions aimed at enhancing cooperation and reducing tensions in the region.