PM Modi and Xi Jinping discuss the Ladakh border issue at BRICS Summit, Russia.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping engaged in bilateral talks on Wednesday, marking their first structured meeting in five years.
The discussion took place on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Russia, amid efforts to resolve ongoing border tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.
Breakthrough on LAC Patrolling Agreement
This high-level meeting followed a significant agreement between India and China regarding military patrolling along the LAC.
The accord, finalized just two days prior, is seen as a major step toward easing the over four-year standoff that began in May 2020.
Both nations hope the new agreement will pave the way for restoring stability in the region.
A History of Informal Interactions
Though this meeting was the first structured dialogue between Modi and Xi in five years, the two leaders have briefly interacted on several occasions since 2019.
In November 2022, they exchanged pleasantries at a G20 dinner in Indonesia, and in August 2023, they shared a brief conversation during the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg.
Last Structured Meeting in 2019
The last formal meeting between the two leaders occurred in October 2019, during their second informal summit in Mamallapuram, India.
Since then, both sides have been grappling with strained ties due to the eastern Ladakh border dispute, which escalated in 2020.
The latest talks at the BRICS Summit signify renewed diplomatic efforts to ease tensions and foster peaceful negotiations between the two Asian giants.
