New Delhi: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet for the first time in five years on Wednesday. The Modi Xi meeting follows a recent agreement between both countries on their disputed border. This encounter marks a significant moment in efforts to resolve long-standing tensions. #ModiXiMeeting
The leaders will convene on the sidelines of the three-day BRICS summit hosted by President Vladimir Putin in Kazan, Russia. This meeting suggests a possible improvement in relations between the two nations. It comes after the border clashes that occurred in 2020.
“There will be a bilateral meeting held between Prime Minister Modi and President Xi Jinping… on the sidelines of the BRICS summit,” senior Indian foreign ministry official Vikram Misri said late Tuesday.
Modi and Xi last held formal talks during Xi’s visit to Mahabalipuram, India, in October 2019. However, the relationship worsened in 2020 after a deadly skirmish in the Ladakh region. In this conflict, 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers lost their lives.
China and India are fierce rivals, often accusing each other of attempting to seize land along their unofficial border, the Line of Actual Control.
Both countries have since pulled back tens of thousands of troops and agreed not to patrol a narrow dividing strip. On Monday, India announced that an agreement on patrolling arrangements had been reached with China, easing military tensions.
While Modi and Xi briefly met during the G20 in Bali (2022) and Johannesburg (2023), India insists relations cannot fully normalize without restoring the pre-clash status quo at their Ladakh border.
Over the past four years, India has restricted Chinese investments in critical sectors and banned hundreds of Chinese apps like TikTok. Additionally, New Delhi has strengthened its ties with the Quad, a U.S.-led alliance that includes Australia and Japan. This move aims to balance China’s growing influence in the Asia-Pacific region. #ModiXiMeeting
India has relaxed laws to allow Western companies to invest in and co-produce military hardware within the country.
New Patrolling Arrangements: A Step Towards Resolution in the Modi Xi Meeting
Tensions have persisted since their 2020 border clashes, but the Modi Xi meeting may offer a platform for resolution. Both countries recently agreed on new patrolling arrangements, easing the military standoff. Despite past friction, this meeting could lead to meaningful progress.
