Taking the first step to revive bilateral ties frozen ever since Chinese incursions in eastern Ladakh over four and a half years ago triggered a military standoff along the Line of Actual Control, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping held talks Wednesday and underlined that “maintaining peace on border should be our priority” and “mutual trust, mutual respect and mutual sensitivity should be the basis of our ties”.
While both Modi and Xi emphasised the “importance of properly handling differences and disputes”, Xi also called for “more communication and cooperation” and said “people in our two countries and the international community are paying great attention to our meeting”.
Meeting in Russia’s Kazan on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit, the two leaders welcomed the agreement between their countries on patrolling along the LAC as part of a process they hope will eventually lead to disengagement and de-escalation.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said Special Representatives on the India-China boundary question will meet at an early date – NSA Ajit Doval and Chinese counterpart Wang Yi last met in December 2019, months before the Chinese incursions.
The Ministry of External Affairs, in a statement, said “the relevant dialogue mechanisms at the level of Foreign Ministers and other officials will also be utilised to stabilise and rebuild bilateral relations”. In other words, bilateral diplomatic and political conversations should resume.
Prime Minister Modi, in a post on X, said, “Met President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Kazan BRICS Summit. India-China relations are important for the people of our countries, and for regional and global peace and stability. Mutual trust, mutual respect and mutual sensitivity will guide bilateral relations.”
At the start of the meeting, Modi said, “We welcome the agreements that we have reached over the border. Maintaining peace and tranquillity over the border should remain our priority, and mutual trust, mutual respect and mutual sensitivity should remain the basis of our relationship. I am confident that we will hold talks with an open heart and our discussions will be constructive.”
At the meeting, President Xi said, “Mr Prime Minister, it’s my great pleasure to meet you in Kazan. It’s the first time for us to have a formal meeting in five years’ time. Both, the people in our two countries and the international community, are paying great attention to our meeting. China and India are both ancient civilisations, major developing countries, and important members of the Global South. We are both at a crucial phase in our respective modernisation endeavours.”
“It best serves the fundamental interests of our two countries… For both sides, to keep to the trend of history and the right direction of our bilateral relations, it’s important for both sides to have more communication and cooperation, properly handle differences and disagreements, and to facilitate each other’s pursuit of development aspirations. It’s also important for both sides to shoulder our international responsibility, set an example for boosting the strength and unity of developing countries, and to contribute to promoting multi-polarisation and democracy in international relations,” he said.
The MEA said, “Welcoming the recent agreement for complete disengagement and resolution of issues that arose in 2020 in the India-China border areas, Prime Minister Modi underscored the importance of properly handling differences and disputes and not allowing them to disturb peace and tranquillity.”
It said the two leaders “agreed” that the “Special Representatives on the India-China boundary question will meet at an early date to oversee the management of peace and tranquillity in border areas and to explore a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution to the boundary question”. (IE)
