Frame By Frame Chemistry Between PM Modi And President Xi Jinping At Kazan Bilateral

Prime Minister Modi enters the room where Chinese President Xi Jinping was already waiting for him. Chinese President escorted the PM Modi to a designated area in the room where flags were placed against the wall. Both the leaders engaged in diplomatic handshake. Modi and Xi held each other’s hand firmly. Modi was wearing a black Nehru styled half sleeved jacket against white Kurta with a saffron pocket square. President Xi was in a Navy blue colour suit with white shirt and red tie. Badge on his coat is not identifiable in video. Modi wore smile as he entered the room and extended hand for a likely handshake but pulled it slightly back as President Xi indicated him the designated venue for diplomatic handshake as he escorts the PM.  Modi looked into the eyes of President Xi Jinping just before the handshake and so did Xi Jinping but for a shorter duration of time. Modi then looked at the cameras and Xi looked at him before glaring at the lenses. Given the duration of handshake, it seems it is more than an indication of eagerness of bilateral relations and  firm commitment.

Shailesh Kumar, National Defence
New Delhi, 23 October 2024

Your channel National Defence was the first to break the news about the planned bilateral meeting between PM Modi and President Xi Jinping.

Xi Jinping said, “Mr Prime Minister, it is my great pleasure to meet you in Kazan. It is first time for us to have a formal meeting in 5 years time. Both the people in our two countries and international community are paying great attention to our meeting. China and India both are ancient civilizations and major developing countries and important members of the global south. We are both at a crucial phase in our respective modernization endeavors. It best serves the fundamental interests of our two countries and two peoples. For both the sides to keep to the trends of history and the right direction of our bilateral relations. Its important for both sides to have communication and cooperation, properly handle our differences and disagreements and to facilitate each others’ pursuits of development aspirations. Its also important for both sides to shoulder our international responsibilities; set an example for boosting the  strength and unity of the developing countries; and to contribute to promoting multipolarization and democracy in international relations”. President Xi then urged the Prime Minsiter to exchange the views on bilateral relations.

Prime Minister Modi has said that he feels happy to meet him. And as you said this is our formal bilateral meeting after 5 years. We believe that significance of India and China relations is not only for the people of our nations but our relations are also important for the world peace, stability and progress. Excellency, we welcome the agreement on issues that arose in last 4 years on our border. To maintain the peace and tranquility on border should be our priority. Mutual trust, mutual respect and mutual sensitivity should remain the basis of our relations. Today we got the opportunity to discuss all such issues. I am confident that we will discuss issues with open mind and our our discussion will be constructive. PM Modi thanked the President Xi Jinping.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs put out a press release following the meeting between both the leaders stating, “Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi met with Mr. Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China, on the sidelines of the 16th BRICS Summit at Kazan on 23 October 2024”.

“Welcoming the recent agreement for complete disengagement and resolution of issues that arose in 2020 in the India-China border areas, Prime Minister Modi underscored the importance of properly handling differences and disputes and not allowing them to disturb peace and tranquility. The two leaders agreed that the Special Representatives on the India-China boundary question will meet at an early date to oversee the management of peace & tranquility in border areas and to explore a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution to the boundary question. The relevant dialogue mechanisms at the level of Foreign Ministers and other officials will also be utilized to stabilize and rebuild bilateral relations”.

“The two leaders affirmed that stable, predictable, and amicable bilateral relations between India and China, as two neighbors and the two largest nations on earth, will have a positive impact on regional and global peace and prosperity. It will also contribute to a multi-polar Asia and a multi-polar world. The leaders underlined the need to progress bilateral relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, enhance strategic communication and explore cooperation to address developmental challenges”.

India’s foreign secretary Vikram Misri briefed the media in Kazan soon after the bilateral meeting. Highlighting the meeting happened on the heels of the dis-engagement and patrolling agreement and the resolution of issues that had arisen in the India China border areas in 2020. Naturally two leaders welcomed the agreement reached between the two sides through sustained dialogue in diplomatic and military channels.

Both NSA Ajit Doval, who is Special Representative of India and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a Polit Bureau member besides being SR have met on the sidelines of various international meetings but the SR talks have not happened in SR Format since December 2019. So India and China will decide date for SR Talks soon.  

Foreign Secretary was asked about the role of Russia for breakthrough in India- China ties by media during press briefing, FS Vikram Misri just said “We are in Kazan; We are in Russia; and I think we can certainly thank Russia for providing the venue”.  

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