New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to engage in a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the BRICS summit in Russia, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said. The meeting highlights the positive shift in India-China relations, following an agreement on a patrolling arrangement along the Line of Actual Control, which has encountered several challenges in recent years.
“I can confirm that there will be a bilateral meeting held between Prime Minister Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping tomorrow on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit,” Misri was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. Both leaders are currently in Kazan, Russia, where they are joined by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Brazil’s Lula da Silva and South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa for the summit.
First formal talks in 5 years
The recent breakthrough in the patrolling arrangement comes four years after the clash in Galwan Valley and signals a step towards de-escalation in a region where both nations have stationed tens of thousands of troops. This arrangement aims to restore the pre-2020 system and is intended to stabilise the situation while serving as a confidence-building measure between New Delhi and Beijing. This will mark the first formal talks between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Modi in the past five years
The Galwan Valley clash on June 15, 2020, marked a significant escalation along the Line of Actual Control, resulting in casualties on both sides and straining bilateral relations. Although there has been a gradual de-escalation, achieving a return to the pre-Galwan status has proven challenging.
No direct flights for 4 years
Apart from that, the tensions have affected various aspects of the relationship. There have been no direct flights between India and China for four years, and visas for Chinese technicians have been granted only after additional security measures. Moreover, investments from companies based in neighboring countries have required extra vetting and security clearances.
