Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping are scheduled to meet for a bilateral discussion on Wednesday during the BRICS Summit. This meeting comes shortly after India and China reached an agreement regarding patrolling arrangements in eastern Ladakh.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri confirmed the meeting during a media briefing in New Delhi, stating, “I can confirm that there will be a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping tomorrow on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit.” He noted that the agreement on patrolling along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) followed extensive discussions with Chinese officials.
Misri elaborated that the negotiations have led to a plan for disengagement, which is expected to resolve the issues that emerged following the Chinese military's actions in eastern Ladakh in 2020. “We have been in discussion with Chinese interlocutors through WMCC and at the military level,” he explained, highlighting that previous discussions had successfully resolved standoffs at various locations along the border.
The recent agreement is seen as a significant step toward easing tensions that escalated in 2020. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar echoed this sentiment on Monday, stating that the new arrangements would help restore the situation to what it was before May 2020.
