PM Narendra Modi and Xi Jinping had briefly met last year in November (File)
New Delhi:
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi left for South Africa to attend the BRICS Summit, sources say there is a possibility of a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Here are the top 10 updates on this big story
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The Prime Minister will join the leaders of Brazil, China, Russia and South Africa at the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg. This will be the first in-person BRICS summit after 2019. Over the last three years, meetings were held virtually because of COVID-19 pandemic.
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On being asked about the possibility of a meeting between PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines , Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra yesterday said his schedule is “still being developed.” “We have a positive intent and an open mind when it comes to BRICS expansion,” Mr Kwatra said.
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If the bilateral meet between PM Modi and Xi Jinping takes place, it will be their first since the India-China border standoff began in May 2020. The two leaders had briefly met last year in November – at the G20 dinner hosted by Indonesian President Joko Widodo in Bali.
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As the Prime Minister left for the BRICS Summit early this morning, he said that it will provide a useful opportunity for its members to “identify future areas of cooperation”. “We value that BRICS has become a platform for discussing and deliberating on issues of concern for the entire Global South,” he said.
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The Indian and Chinese troops are locked in an over three-year confrontation in certain friction points in eastern Ladakh even as the two sides completed disengagement at several places following extensive diplomatic and military talks.
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A fresh round of high-level talks between the two countries was held between the two countries earlier this month with a focus to resolve the remaining issues. A joint statement called the talks “positive, constructive and in-depth”.
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Last month, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval met top Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of a meeting of the BRICS nations in Johannesburg. Mr Doval emphasised the importance of continuing efforts to fully resolve the situation and restore peace and tranquility in the border areas.
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India-China ties deteriorated following a fierce clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 that marked the most serious military conflict between the two countries in decades.
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After a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process in 2021 on the north and south banks of the Pangong lake and in the Gogra area.
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India has maintained that its ties with China cannot be normal unless there is peace in the border areas.
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