Will PM Modi’s meeting with Xi Jinping improve bilateral ties with China after LAC talks?- The Week

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, on Wednesday afternoon.

The meeting is one of the most important bilateral talks during the summit as India and China have taken initial steps in resolving their border dispute. Though the two leaders have informally met in Bali in 2022 and Johannesburg in 2023, this will be the first formal meeting in  a while.

Both countries have acknowledged that they have agreed on patrolling arrangements along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.

Modi and Xi are expected to take follow-up steps to resolving the disputes further.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri earlier said the latest agreement will reverse the 2020 status quo on patrolling and grazing activites before the Galwan Valley clash.

Modi and Xi also discussed war in Ukraine with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the meeting of BRICS leaders. PM Modi said India supports dialogue and diplomacy and not war, seeking a resolution of the Russia-Ukraine conflict through peaceful talks.

He also sought reforms in the UN Security Council and other bodies like the WTO, besides urging member countries to work together on global regulations for cyber security and AI sectors.