Beijing’s ambitions for greater regional influence faced a setback on Thursday when India refused to sign a joint statement proposed at a meeting of the China-led Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), over concerns the document was biased toward Pakistan for not mentioning April's terror attack on Indian tourists.
According to an anonymous source familiar with the matter, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh objected to the statement, saying it undermined India’s stance on key issues like terrorism and regional security.
