Brics Summit 2017: Narendra Modi-Xi Jinping meeting focusses on bilateral ties, moving on from Doka La

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese president Xi Jinping held their first substantive bilateral meeting today after the Doka La standoff, which had put ties between the two countries under strain.

The meeting between Modi and Xi on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit lasted an hour. No statement on Doka La was issued, which seemed to indicate a maturity on the part of both nations and a willingness to move on from the standoff.

The prime minister, accompanied by senior officials including National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and foreign secretary S Jaishankar, met the Chinese leader just before his travel to Myanmar from the port city.

Modi arrived in Xiamen on Sunday and attended the BRICS Summit on Monday.

Xi Jinping is reported to have said, “India is a valuable partner. We seek guidance from India on the five principles of Panchsheel. India and China are world’s two largest economies in the world.”

Jaishankar said: “There was a forward-looking and constructive approach taken by both sides during the Modi-Xi meeting. The two leaders reaffirmed that it is in the interest of both India and China to have good relations.”

Jaishankar said that while there were differences, they should not become disputes. “Peace and tranquility at the border areas is a prerequisite for fruitful relations between India and China.

Urging better communication between the military personnel of India and China, Jaishankar said, “The two leaders felt that there should be closer communication between the defence and security personnel of India and China.”

On the issue of counter-terrorism, which dominated the BRICS summit Monday, Jaishankar said that that was not discussed separately during the bilateral meeting.

The Chinese and the Indian troops were engaged in a standoff since June 16 after the Indian side stopped the construction of a road by the Chinese Army. On 28 August, India’s external affairs ministry announced that New Delhi and Beijing have decided on “expeditious disengagement” of their border troops in the disputed Doka La area.

Asked if there was any link between the BRICS declaration which for the first time named Pakistan-based terror groups for their violent activities and resolution of the Doka La standoff, Secretary (East) in the MEA Preeti Saran answered in the negative, saying BRICS is a multilateral forum where outcomes are based on consensus. “It cannot be linked,” she added.

Earlier, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang told the media in Beijing that “details of the meeting we will release in due course.”

Apart from Xi, Modi will also hold a bilateral meeting with the Egypt president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Egypt is among the five countries — Mexico, Guinea, Thailand and Tajikistan — invited by China as part of ‘BRICS Plus’ outreach exercise.

Xi and his wife hosted a banquet for the BRICS leaders Monday evening followed by Chinese cultural extravaganza.  Modi, who attended the banquet along with other leaders, also interacted informally with the leaders of the guest countries.