Last Updated: August 24, 2023, 14:59 IST
Johannesburg, South Africa
PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping were seen engaging in a brief interaction at the 15th BRICS summit in Johannesburg.
PM Modi and President Xi at BRICS Summit amid India-China tensions. Brief interaction and G20 encounter discussed. Updates on Ladakh border issue
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping were observed walking together at the ongoing BRICS Summit in South Africa on Thursday. Both leaders engaged in a brief conversation before assuming their designated seats ahead of the joint press conference for the Johannesburg Declaration.
Even before PM Modi’s departure for the African nation for the summit, speculation had arisen about whether the leaders would engage in bilateral talks amidst the ongoing tensions between India and China.
#WATCH | PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping engage in a brief interaction at the 15th BRICS summit in Johannesburg pic.twitter.com/1yE3jstVfx
This brief meeting comes amid strained ties between countries over the Ladakh border issue. Last year, PM Modi and President Xi had a brief encounter in November during the G20 dinner hosted by Indonesian President Joko Widodo in Bali, Indonesia.
During the G20 dinner, both leaders said to have exchanged pleasantries. This marked their first handshake since the standoff between China’s Peoples Liberation Army and Indian forces in eastern Ladakh in April 2020.
Over the past three years, India and China have been in a prolonged standoff, resulting in deteriorating relations at all levels due to tensions on the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The two nations have engaged in 19 rounds of talks since 2020 to address boundary issues in eastern Ladakh.
