Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping met today on the sidelines of the 16th BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia marking their first delegation-level meeting in five years. The last such structured talks between the two leaders took place in Mamallapuram in October 2019, just months before the border standoff in eastern Ladakh.
Anticipation was high for this meeting, as it followed a recent agreement on patrolling along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), which was reached on Monday. Both Modi and Xi strongly emphasised dialogue to ensure long-term border peace.
According to a Ministry of External Affairs release, the leaders “welcomed the recent agreement for complete disengagement and resolution of issues that arose in 2020 in the India-China border areas.” They also agreed that Special Representatives on the boundary issue would meet soon to manage peace and explore a fair, reasonable, and mutually acceptable solution to the ongoing border dispute.
The language of the official release was carefully calibrated to reflect mutual intent on elevating the relationship to a strategic level.
Both leaders emphasized that stable, predictable, and amicable relations between India and China—two neighbouring giants and the world’s most populous nations—would not only benefit bilateral ties but also contribute positively to regional and global peace and prosperity. “Such a relationship,” the statement highlighted, “will be a key pillar in fostering a multipolar Asia and a multipolar world.”
Further, Prime Minister Modi and President Xi underscored the importance of approaching bilateral relations from a strategic and long-term perspective. They emphasized the need to enhance high-level communication and deepen cooperation in addressing shared developmental challenges. This forward-looking approach signalled a commitment to reducing tensions and focusing on areas of common interest while ensuring stability in the broader region.
“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,” the release reads.
Prime Minister @narendramodi met with Mr. Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China, on the sidelines of the 16th BRICS Summit at Kazan, Russia today
Read here: https://t.co/O9095WbqWO#BRICSSummit pic.twitter.com/It6THfBFXt
— PIB India (@PIB_India) October 23, 2024
During their meeting, Prime Minister Modi emphasized to President Xi that border peace, mutual trust, and respect must take precedence in the relationship between India and China. He stressed that these principles are essential for stabilizing ties and fostering long-term cooperation.
In response, President Xi highlighted the importance of both nations supporting each other’s development aspirations. Xi underscored the need for India and China to enhance communication and collaboration, manage differences constructively, and address disagreements through dialogue and diplomacy, according to Xinhua News Agency.
Chinese President Xi Jinping met Wednesday with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi @narendramodi on the sidelines of the 16th #BRICS Summit. Chinese analysts said the meeting has strategic significance as the recovery of China-India relations serves not only the interests of… pic.twitter.com/dM8Ax7Xq44
— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) October 23, 2024
Chinese analysts said the meeting has strategic significance as the recovery of China-India relations serves not only the interests of both countries, but also the multi-polarization of the world order.
Lin Minwang, Deputy Director of the Center for South Asian Studies at Fudan University, told the Global Times on Wednesday that the meeting signals that China-India relations are now on a path to recovery. He noted that with both sides reaching resolutions on key border issues, the primary obstacle hindering the restoration of bilateral ties has been effectively removed.
Li Haidong, a China Foreign Affairs University professor, remarked that the world is entering an era of multipolarity, where emerging economies like China and India will play pivotal roles. He noted that if the two nations can effectively manage their differences, strengthen mutual trust, and foster unity, they could drive significant changes in reforming the international order, which is currently challenged by Western-dominated unilateralism and U.S. hegemony.
Chinese experts are calling for India to facilitate people-to-people exchanges between the two countries and fix other relevant policies, so the Indian government can instill confidence and trust among Chinese firms and people that they can invest in India.
This marks the beginning of a new phase in India-China relations, though Indian analysts caution that the path to a full reset remains long and uncertain.
WATCH 📹 | Modi-Xi Bilateral: Long Road Ahead For India-China Reset@amitabhprevi speaks with Editor-in-Chief @nitingokhale, who is reporting from Kazan.#SNGAtBRICS #BRICS #BRICS2024 #BRICSSummit2024 @SuryaGangadha13 @s_jkr @Resham_sng #india #china https://t.co/si3TMGs3U1
— StratNewsGlobal (@StratNewsGlobal) October 23, 2024
(Note: For analytical perspective and outcome of the Modi-Xi meeting, watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/live/DUqvrIi2lSI)
Ravi Shankar
