Updated: October 5, 2020 8:43:52 pm
Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Chinese President Xi Jinping. (AP / file)
In what could be the first interaction between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping since the start of the border clash in Ladakh in May, the two leaders are scheduled to attend the BRICS summit via virtual mode on 17 April. November.
Russia, which currently holds the presidency of the BRICS, announced on Monday that the 12th BRICS Summit – of Brazil, Russia,
India, China, South Africa: it will take place via video conference.
Modi and Xi, who have met at least 18 times in the past six years, have not spoken or met since the border clash.
Ideas explained | Could the war with India be an attempt to restore Xi’s unstable political position in China?
No meeting or phone call between the two leaders is scheduled before November 17, although the possibility of a conversation cannot be completely ruled out, the sources said.
The last time they shared a platform was on March 26, when Saudi Arabia held an extraordinary virtual meeting of G-20 leaders on the Covid-19 pandemic.
Indeed, Modi and Xi will have another opportunity to share the G-20 platform, also via video conference, from November 21 to 22. The annual G20 summit will take place four days after the BRICS summit.
Sources said that the BRICS summit scheduling could be an opportunity to resolve the confrontation, as the two sides would like to resolve the issue before November 17.
“Five months have passed since the confrontation began, and in Moscow last month, the Foreign Ministers took a five-point approach to disconnect and reduce the escalation early. But there has been no progress on the disconnect since then, although there has been no escalation either. We will have to see if the intention to disconnect is there or not in the coming weeks, “a source told The Indian Express.
Opinion | India and China must shift their focus towards maintaining the status quo along with each other’s perception of LAC
Incidentally, the two and a half month Doklam border clash between Indian and Chinese troops was resolved just before the BRICS summit in Xiamen in September 2017.
The Chumar confrontation in September 2014 also ended after Modi raised the issue with Xi, who was visiting Ahmedabad.
In announcing the BRICS summit, Russia said that the theme of this year’s meeting is “BRICS Association for Global Stability, Shared Security and Innovative Growth.”
He said the five countries have continued “a close strategic partnership on the three main pillars: peace and security, economy and finance, cultural and people-to-people exchanges.”
📣 The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and keep up to date with the latest headlines
For the latest news about India, download the Indian Express app.
© The Indian Express (P) Ltd
.
