- Modi and Xi Discuss Border Issues at BRICS Summit
- Agreement to Intensify Efforts for Disengagement and De-escalation
- Long-standing Tensions Along the Line of Actual Control (LAC)
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed border issues along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the margins of the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, according to India’s foreign secretary.
Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra stated that Modi and Xi agreed to “direct their relevant officials to intensify efforts for expeditious disengagement and de-escalation.”
Relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbors have been tense for more than three years following a June 2020 border skirmish in the Himalayas that resulted in 24 fatalities.
While the situation on the nearly 3,000-kilometer border has been peaceful since then, a few pockets of conflict remain.
Modi conveyed to Xi, on the margins of the BRICS summit, “India’s concerns regarding the unresolved issues along the LAC,” according to Kwatra.
Modi also “emphasized that the maintenance of peace and tranquility in border areas, as well as the observance and respect of the LAC, are essential for normalizing India-China relations,” the foreign secretary said.
This is the first time Modi has raised the issue directly with Xi, reiterating India’s position that has been conveyed to China multiple times by other ministers.
The two leaders met last year in Indonesia on the margins of the Group of 20 summits, but only exchanged courtesies and discussed the need to stabilize relations, according to the Indian government.
Border issues have been the subject of discussions at multiple levels, but a resolution remains elusive.
Just before the two leaders’ trip to Johannesburg, military commanders met for five days along the Himalayan border to reach an agreement. While both parties stated that the discussions had been productive, there was no mention of a troop withdrawal.
Earlier this year, the Chinese foreign and defense ministers visited India for G20 and Shanghai Cooperation Dialogue events and met with their Indian counterparts.
