Updated: November 10, 2020 9:18:32 am
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping are scheduled to participate in a virtual interaction at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit on Tuesday. (PTI file photo)
THE STAGE is scheduled for the first meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping since the border clash in eastern Ladakh that began in May, with the two leaders scheduled to participate in a virtual interaction at the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). Tuesday.
Modi will also share a virtual platform with the Chinese president on November 17 for the BRICS meeting and on November 21 and 22 for the G-20 summit. The two leaders have met at least 18 times in the past six years, but last shared a platform on March 26 when Saudi Arabia held a virtual G-20 meeting on the Covid pandemic.
Authorities said the chances of a border thaw at the SCO meeting are “grim” given the tough positions the two sides have taken. Also, unlike the latest SCO, BRICS and G-20 summits, where leaders could meet in retreat sessions and participate in free discussions, the virtual format does not provide individual conversations.
In 2017, the Doklam border clash that lasted for almost three months was resolved just before the BRICS summit in September 2017 in Xiamen. The Chumar border clash in September 2014 was also resolved after Modi raised the issue with the visiting Chinese president in Ahmedabad.
But this time, there have been no signs of disengagement and de-escalation after eight rounds of military talks, six rounds of diplomatic talks and at least one face-to-face meeting between the Indian and Chinese NSA, defense ministers and foreign ministers. . .
So far, the key factor that has kept tensions under control is the absence of escalation measures at the border since Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi they agreed on a joint approach to defuse the situation.
Russia chairs the SCO and BRICS summits. The SCO summit will also be attended by the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, and the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, among others.
Sources said that this year, the summit will end with the adoption of a Moscow Declaration. There will also be statements from the SCO on topics such as the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of World War II, the digital economy, Covid, cyber terrorism and the threat of drugs, the sources said. There will also be decisions regarding major projects and initiatives in trade and the economy.
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