India’s defence minister has accused China of eroding the “entire basis” of ties between the two countries by violating bilateral agreements, a reference to a nearly three-year-old standoff involving thousands of soldiers stationed along their disputed border in the eastern Ladakh region.

Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met with visiting Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu and “had frank discussions about the developments in the India-China border areas as well as bilateral relations”, India’s Defence Ministry said on Thursday.