Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are set to hold their first bilateral meeting since 2022 on Wednesday following a recent breakthrough in the four-year border stalemate between the countries.
The two leaders will convene on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told reporters on Tuesday. Modi and Xi previously engaged in a brief exchange at the bloc’s meeting in Johannesburg in 2023, while their last formal meeting took place during the G20 leaders’ summit in Bali in 2022.
India announced on Monday that it had reached a key breakthrough in talks with China following a four-year military standoff between the neighbors after their troops clashed along the so-called Line of Actual Control (LAC), resulting in casualties on both sides.
According to New Delhi, to ensure no violations occur, both sides agreed on the arrangements for patrolling along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh region that were in place before the 2020 clashes. The agreement was the outcome of several rounds of discussions through diplomatic and military channels over the past few weeks. The agreement was the outcome of several rounds of discussions through diplomatic and military channels over the past few weeks, the country’s Foreign Ministry said, adding the two sides will now take the “next steps on this.”
Beijing has on Tuesday confirmed reaching a deal on patrolling with India, stating that the two countries “have maintained close communication” on issues related to the border. “At present, the two sides have reached a solution to the relevant issues, which China views positively,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a media briefing, noting that the two sides will be working together to implement the agreements.
Indian media noted that while New Delhi’s statement on Monday referred specifically to Depsang and Demchok – two disputed areas in the eastern Ladakh region – Beijing’s response did not mention these locations. This omission has raised speculation that the border issues may not yet be fully resolved.
Ties between the two Asian neighbors have been strained since the clashes, impacting both diplomatic and economic engagement, with New Delhi restricting Chinese investments in India. Since then, the two countries have held over 30 rounds of talks aimed at de-escalation.