Today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping are scheduled to have one-on-one discussions during the 16th Brics Summit in Russia. The two leaders arrived at the summit venue in Kazan city.
First meeting between the two leaders in 5 years
This marks the first official encounter between the two leaders in five years and comes only two days following India’s announcement of an agreement with China to resume patrolling in disputed regions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, concluding a lengthy military standoff.
The bilateral meeting will take place at around 4.10 pm to 5.10 pm (IST).
PM Modi and Xi Jinping attended a formal dinner on Tuesday night, hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin for all the Brics leaders and summit attendees.
Confirming at a press conference in Kazan, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri announced that the Prime Minister and the Chinese President will meet on Wednesday during the two-day summit.
However, he did not provide the timing of the meeting.
The Foreign Secretary was also asked about the India-China agreement to resume patrolling at the remaining friction points along the LAC, which have been tense since the Galwan Valley clash in 2020.
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Misri replied that the first priority would be disengagement, followed by addressing the de-escalation and de-induction of troops when the timing is right.
“What it will entail is that in the pending areas under discussion, patrolling and grazing activities, wherever applicable, will revert to the situation as it existed in 2020,” he said.
Last formal meeting took place in 2019 in Mahabalipuram
Five years after the border standoff, a diplomatic breakthrough occurred, resulting in a significant improvement in bilateral relations between India and China. New Delhi has alleged that Beijing has taken control of approximately 1,000 square kilometers of Indian land in Ladakh since May 2020.
Shortly before the Foreign Secretary’s declaration of the meeting, the Chinese government also verified the ceasefire at the border, stating that an agreement was reached on “relevant matteRs” and they will collaborate with New Delhi to enforce these agreements.
The last formal meeting between PM Modi and Xi Jinping took place in 2019 in Mahabalipuram.
During the 15th Brics Summit in August 2023, the two leaders had a short and casual chat in Johannesburg.
During a dinner held by the Indonesian President for G20 leaders in November 2022, the Prime Minister and the President Xi engaged in small talk and had a briefly conversationn.
