PM Modi to hold bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday, first in 5 years

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping are scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting on Wednesday, marking their first formal talks since the 2020 Galwan Valley conflict.

PM Modi to hold bilateral talks with China's Xi Jinping on sidelines of BRICS Summit snt

Sunita Iyer

First Published Oct 22, 2024, 9:36 PM IST | Last Updated Oct 22, 2024, 10:11 PM IST

In a major diplomatic development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping are scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting on Wednesday, marking their first formal talks since the 2020 Galwan Valley conflict. The meeting will take place on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, as confirmed by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri during a media briefing on Tuesday.

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"I can confirm that there will be a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Modi and Chinese President Jinping tomorrow," Misri said.

It is worth noting that the last formal meeting between PM Modi and Xi Jinping took place in Mahabalipuram in October 2019.

The bilateral talks come at a time when India and China are actively working to restore ties following the deadly clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020, which resulted in significant casualties on both sides and a sharp downturn in diplomatic and military relations.

The focus of the discussions is expected to be on de-escalation and disengagement along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, where tensions have persisted for over four years.

Army Chief on India-China LAC patrolling deal

On Monday, India announced a major breakthrough in the border standoff, with both countries reaching an agreement on patrolling along the contested LAC.

Earlier today, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi emphasized that India is committed to restoring the status quo as it existed in April 2020, prior to the escalation of hostilities.

"As far as we are concerned, we want to go back to the status quo of April 2020. Thereafter, we will be looking at disengagement, de-escalation and normal management of the LAC," he said.

"And, this normal management of the LAC will not just stop there. There are phases in that also," he added.

China confirms patrolling agreement along LAC

China also confirmed the agreement, with Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stating that both countries have maintained "close communication through diplomatic and military channels" regarding the border issues.

The agreement is expected to facilitate the resumption of patrolling in key friction areas such as Depsang and Demchok, where negotiations had previously stalled.

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Relations between the two Asian giants deteriorated sharply after the violent clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020, the most severe military confrontation between the two nations in decades.

In the years following, both sides managed to disengage from several friction points through a series of military and diplomatic negotiations.

However, progress stalled when it came to addressing the issues in the Depsang and Demchok areas.

The agreement announced on Monday is expected to pave the way for resuming patrolling in these contested regions, marking a significant step forward in resolving the prolonged standoff.

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