Indian PM Modi Raises Border Issue with China’s Xi on Sidelines of BRICS Summit

Indian PM Modi Raises Border Issue with China’s Xi on Sidelines of BRICS Summit

Ira Singh
25 Aug’23

In a significant diplomatic development, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the longstanding border issue with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg.The interaction comes as a testament to the complexity of the Sino-Indian relationship and the ongoing efforts to address areas of contention while engaging in broader multilateral discussions.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke at the sidelines of the BRICS summit where both leaders agreed on “expeditious de-escalation” in the eastern Ladakh region, Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra briefed reporters on Thursday (Aug 24).

“It was a conversation with President Xi Jinping and, as I said, on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit. Prime Minister (Modi) had interactions with other BRICS leaders (as well). In that conversation with President Xi Jinping, the prime minister highlighted India’s concerns at the unresolved issues along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the western sector of the India-China border areas,” Kwatra said.

The Line of Actual Control has been disputed by India and China since the 1950s. They went to war over it in 1962.

PM Modi told Xi that “maintenance of peace, tranquillity in border areas and respecting LAC” are essential for the normalisation of India-China ties, the Indian official said.

India and Chinese troops talks
So far, 19 rounds of talks have taken place at the commander’s level, with the latest one focussing on the resolution of issues in Depsang Plains and Demchok.

India and China have been engaged in a border dispute since April 2020, when the Chinese PLA amassed thousands of troops on the border in Eastern Ladakh. Since the dispute began, no bilateral meeting has taken place between Modi and XI even though they met twice at global summits,according to sources.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs in a statement said that NSA Ajit Doval conveyed that the situation along the LAC in the western sector of the India-China boundary since 2020 had “eroded strategic trust” and the public and political basis of the relationship.

In Bali, PM Modi and President Xi had talked about bilateral relations but no statement was issued back then. However, Beijing last month claimed that PM Modi and Xi Jinping reached an “important consensus” on stabilising bilateral ties during their interaction at the G20 Summit in Bali,according to sources.

After this, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said PM Modi and President Xi exchanged pleasantries and discussed the necessity of stabilising bilateral relations.

The Chinese President is scheduled to visit India next month for the G-20 Summit in New Delhi.

The intricate web of India’s relationship with China is a tapestry woven not only from geopolitical intricacies but also from the indelible shadows cast by enduring border disputes. As these two Asian giants engage in a complex diplomatic dance, India’s stance on Sino-Indian relations remains inextricably linked to the tranquility – or lack thereof – along their shared borders. Despite prolonged dialogues, the elusive resolution of these border disputes continues to pose a formidable challenge. Despite protracted dialogues, the elusive resolution of border disputes remains an enduring challenge. The expected bilateral talks between Prime Minister Modi and President Xi Jinping, on the sidelines of the summit evoke a glimmer of optimism. A historical precedent comes to the fore, harking back to the 2017 Doklam standoff, which was diplomatically defused just days before Modi and Xi converged at the Xiamen BRICS summit. Nonetheless, the intricacies of today’s geopolitical landscape are far more intricate, demanding a sustained and multifaceted approach by both countries that extends beyond the immediate purview of what happens during the BRICS summit.