NSA Ajit Doval Set To Visit China For SCO Meet, Cross-Border Terrorism To Be Key Agenda

National Security Adviser Ajit Doval is set to visit China from June 24 to 26, 2025, to attend a high-level meeting of national security advisers ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.
This visit comes at a critical juncture, following heightened tensions in the region after the recent Pahalgam terror attack and India's subsequent Operation Sindoor, which targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and intercepted advanced foreign-made weaponry, including Chinese-origin missiles and Turkish drones used by Pakistan.
A central agenda for India at the SCO will be counterterrorism, with Doval expected to confront Pakistan directly on the issue of cross-border terrorism. India aims to leverage the Pahalgam attack to diplomatically isolate Pakistan and push for the SCO to identify Pakistan-based groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) as key threats.
Doval’s participation is seen as a high-stakes diplomatic manoeuvre: while exposing Pakistan’s complicity, India also seeks to test China’s stance on terrorism, especially given Beijing’s close ties with Islamabad.
India will insist on including a reference to the Pahalgam attack in the SCO joint declaration, although both China and Pakistan are expected to resist such a move, likely resulting in a diluted outcome. India also plans to push for the institutionalisation of anti-terror measures through the SCO’s Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS), aiming to strengthen the organisation’s counterterrorism framework.
The visit is also significant as it marks the first high-level engagement between Indian and Chinese officials since the military standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh began in 2020. This comes amid ongoing efforts to stabilise India-China relations, with China reportedly interested in normalising ties, including the resumption of direct flights, but unlikely to take a strong stand against Pakistan due to strategic considerations.
The geopolitical context is further complicated by Iran’s position: while Tehran has supported India on the Pahalgam attack, it maintains close ties with both China and Pakistan. Additionally, Russia is expected to quietly back India’s stance on terrorism, given the deepening defence and energy cooperation between New Delhi and Moscow.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is also likely to travel to China for the SCO Defence Ministers’ meeting, making this the first visit by a senior Indian minister since bilateral ties deteriorated following the 2020 border clashes. Both meetings are seen as crucial for shaping the security agenda of the upcoming SCO summit and for reinforcing India’s push for a robust regional counterterrorism mechanism.
NSA Ajit Doval’s visit to China for the SCO meeting is strategically significant for India’s efforts to address cross-border terrorism, challenge Pakistan’s narrative, and engage China in a delicate diplomatic balancing act, all while navigating the complex web of regional alliances and rivalries.
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