PM Modi, Chinese President Xi hold first formal talks since border tensions in 2020

New Delhi, Oct 23: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a highly awaited bilateral meeting on Wednesday, on the sidelines of the second day BRICS summit in Russia.

A press release by the ministry of external affairs said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Mr. Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China, on the sidelines of the 16th BRICS Summit at Kazan on 23 October 2024.”

The press release further added that: “Welcoming the recent agreement for complete disengagement and resolution of issues that arose in 2020 in the India-China border areas, Prime Minister Modi underscored the importance of properly handling differences and disputes and not allowing them to disturb peace and tranquillity.”

Press release further added, “The two leaders agreed that the Special Representatives on the India-China boundary question will meet at an early date to oversee the management of peace & tranquillity in border areas and to explore a fair, reasonable, and mutually acceptable solution to the boundary question. The relevant dialogue mechanisms at the level of Foreign Ministers and other officials will also be utilised to stabilise and rebuild bilateral relations.”

This marks their first formal dialogue since border tensions between the two nations erupted in eastern Ladakh in May 2020. The meeting comes just days after India and China finalised an agreement on patrolling by their militaries along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, a much awaited step towards ending the four-year-old military stand-off.

The recent accord is being hailed as a breakthrough, as both nations aim to reset relations that have been strained for years. Although Modi and Xi briefly exchanged pleasantries at the G20 summit in Indonesia in 2022, this meeting is seen as their first substantive engagement since the 2020 crisis and they last formally met in 2019. Their last informal interaction took place in August 2023, during the BRICS summit in Johannesburg.

The host city for this year’s BRICS summit is Kazan, where discussions between Modi and Xi focused not only on border issues but also on broader geopolitical and economic cooperation within the BRICS framework. Foreign Secretary while answering some of the media questions on the role of Russia in bringing two countries to talk to each other said, “ we are thankful for Russia to have provided the venue for the meeting at Kazan.”

The MEA press release noted, “The two leaders affirmed that stable, predictable, and amicable bilateral relations between India and China, as two neighbours and the two largest nations on earth, will have a positive impact on regional and global peace and prosperity. It will also contribute to a multi-polar Asia and a multi-polar world. The leaders underlined the need to progress bilateral relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, enhance strategic communication and explore cooperation to address developmental challenges,” concluded the press release. Relations between India and China hit a historic low after the deadly clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020, the worst military conflict between the two nations in decades. Since then, both sides have engaged in several rounds of military and diplomatic talks, leading to partial disengagement from friction points.

However, unresolved issues persist in some areas which the newly reached agreement aims to address, through special representatives of both countries that includes Mr Ajit Doval from Indian side and foreign minister from China side to continue the dialogue. The two special representatives had last met officially in 2019 and in-between they had informally met at some multilateral platforms.

Despite these efforts, challenges remain in fully normalising ties. India is worried about massive ongoing constructions and perhaps military installations on several vintage points near LAC within their own territory.

Modi’s meeting with Xi will now set the stage for more structured negotiations in the coming months, building on the recent progress.

In parallel, Prime Minister Modi also held a series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit. He met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, where they discussed India’s commitment to helping resolve the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Modi further met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, marking the first meeting between the two leaders since Pezeshkian took office in July after a snap election victory.

UN general Secretary in Russia attending BRICS

While diplomatic engagements continue in Kazan, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also arrived at the summit, marking his first visit to Russia in over two years. His meeting with President Putin is seen as a crucial step in addressing broader global challenges, including the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Yesterday, in a media briefing Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri emphasised that this year’s BRICS summit is not only about expanding the group but also about setting the stage for a new partner country model.

“Political and strategic issues, as well as economic, trade, and financial matters, will remain at the forefront of discussions on the second day of the summit,” Misri remarked, reflecting the breadth of topics the BRICS nations are tackling this year.