PM's bilateral with China's Xi at Brics Summit today, days after border truce

This is PM Modi and Xi Jinping's first formal meeting in five years and also comes just days after India said it reached a truce with China to resume patrolling in disputed areas along the LAC in eastern Ladakh, ending a four-year military standoff.

In Short

• Bilateral talks to take place on sidelines of Brics summit in Russia's Kazan
• PM Modi, Xi Jinping's last formal talks in 2019, brief exchange last year
• Talks come two days after India-China truce on LAC patrolling

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold bilateral talks today on the sidelines of the ongoing 16th Brics Summit in Russia's Kazan city.

This will be the first formal meeting between the two leaders in five years and also comes just two days after India said it reached a truce with China to resume patrolling in disputed areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, ending a four-year military standoff.

The bilateral meeting will take place at around 4.10 pm to 5.10 pm (IST).

PM Modi and Xi Jinping met at a formal dinner on Tuesday night hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin for all the Brics leaders and attendees of the summit.

Addressing a press conference in Kazan, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri confirmed that the meeting between the Prime Minister and the Chinese President will take place on Wednesday on the sidelines of the two-day summit.

He, however, did not mention 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, where tensions have persisted since the Galwan Valley clash in 2020.

In response, Misri said the immediate focus would be on disengagement and then the issue of de-escalation and de-induction of troops would be taken up at an appropriate time.

"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.

The diplomatic breakthrough came five years after the border standoff led to significant deterioration of bilateral relations between India and China. New Delhi had accused Beijing of occupying about 1,000 sq km of Indian territory in Ladakh since May 2020.

Hours before the Foreign Secretary's announcement of the meeting, the Chinese government also confirmed the border truce, saying that a resolution was reached on "relevant matters" and that it will work with New Delhi to implement these resolutions.

The last formal meeting between PM Modi and Xi Jinping took place in 2019 in Mahabalipuram.

In August 2023, the two leaders held a brief and informal conversation in Johannesburg on the sidelines of the 15th Brics Summit.

The Prime Minister and the President exchanged pleasantries and held a brief conversation at a dinner hosted by the Indonesian President for the G20 leaders in November 2022.

PM MODI'S MEETINGS WITH PUTIN, IRANIAN PRESIDENT

Following his arrival in Kazan on Tuesday, Prime Minister Modi held bilateral talks with the Russian and Iranian Presidents, Vladimir Putin and Masoud Pezeshkian, respectively.

During his meeting with Putin, the PM assured India's cooperation for a peaceful resolution to the Russia-Ukraine war. He also recalled his two visits to Russia in the last three months, saying they "reflect our close coordination and deep friendship".

On his part, the Russian President said India-Russia ties were "specially privileged" and "developing dynamically". The meeting also witnessed a light moment when Putin said he thought PM Modi would understand his remarks without translation as both nations shared a "tight" relationship.

The PM's meeting with the Iranian leader was the first after Pezeshkian assumed office in July following his victory in snap elections and the death of his predecessor Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash earlier this year.

Their discussions focused on ways to strengthen cooperation in key areas, including Chabahar Port and the International North-South Transport Corridor.

"Had a very good meeting with the President of Iran, Mr. Masoud Pezeshkian. We reviewed the full range of relations between our countries. We also discussed ways to deepen ties in futuristic sectors," PM Modi tweeted after the meeting.

Pezeshkian acknowledged India's role in Iran's accession to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and Brics and also emphasised on the part New Delhi could play in de-escalating the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

The Iranian leader also accepted PM Modi's invitation to visit India at an early date.