Bhavika Jain, Pune
Prime Minister Modi and President Xi Jinping convened at the leaders lounge, accompanied by their interpreters, during the BRICS Summit.
On Thursday, sources confirmed that the Chinese side had initiated the meeting. This revelation contradicted a previous statement made by the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s brief interaction with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Although the Chinese report of the meeting suggests that China and India wish to normalise their relations, this does not seem to be the case, as Prime Minister Modi expressed concerns about the extensive People’s Liberation Army (PLA) deployment in East Ladakh.
According to what is known, Prime Minister Modi clarified that the 3,488 km of LAC’s disengagement and de-escalation are necessary for normalisation. India’s Foreign Secretary, Vinay Kwatra, confirmed Prime Minister Modi’s discussion with President Xi that the journey towards normalisation necessitates disengagement and de-escalation as key steps.
President Xi emphasised that enhancing the relationship between China and India aligns with the mutual interests of both nations and their people. Furthermore, he highlighted its positive implications for global and regional peace, stability, and development. China has advocated parallel-track diplomacy since 1977 by keeping the boundary dispute aside from trade relations. Due to this, India now has a trade deficit of around $70 billion. (Source: Economic Times)
The statement stressed the importance of both sides considering the broader interests of their bilateral relations and managing the border issue to uphold peace and security in the border region collectively.
The Chinese side encourages India to set aside sensitive border matters and military concerns while prioritising the swift normalisation of their relations.