Xi, Modi discuss border tensions on BRICS summit sidelines

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
25 Aug 2023 14:24
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The Presidents of China and India meet in South Africa, holding "candid and in-depth" talks vis-a-vis the border tensions between the two Asian giants.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, center right speaks to China's President Xi Jinping as President of Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula, left, and Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi look on, at the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, on August 24, 2023 (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

After a rare face-to-face meeting, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held "candid and in-depth" discussions to reduce tensions along their disputed border, Beijing said on Friday.

According to China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, "President Xi stressed that improving China-India relations serves the common interests of the two countries and peoples," adding that "The two sides should bear in mind the overall interests of their bilateral relations and handle properly the border issue so as to jointly safeguard peace."

In turn, India's Foreign Secretary, Vinay Kwatra, noted that Modi had shed light on unresolved issues along what is known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC) where the 2020 India-China clash took place claiming multiple lives on both ends.

It is important to note that the LAC separated India and China's 3,500-kilometre shared border area when on one end there is India's Himalayan region of Ladakh, while the other end would be Chinese territory.

According to Kwatra, "Modi underlined that... observing and respecting the LAC are essential for normalizing the India-China relationship," Vinay Kwatra told reporters Thursday.

India has been wary of its northern neighbor's growing military assertiveness and disputes over the two Asian giants' 3,500-kilometre (2,200-mile) shared frontier have been a perennial source of tension.

In 1962, India and China fought a full-scale war over disputed claims of territorial ownership of the state of Arunachal Pradesh.

The two countries have held 19 rounds of military talks between Beijing and New Delhi, the latest of which was conducted earlier this month; however, all of them have failed despite the two leaders' mutual presence at numerous multilateral diplomatic events.