Kazan: In their first structured bilateral talks in nearly five years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday agreed that India and China can have a "peaceful and stable" relationship by displaying maturity and mutual respect, and endorsed the pact on the resolution of the dragging eastern Ladakh border row.
In the meeting, Modi underscored the importance of properly handling differences and disputes and not allowing them to disturb peace and tranquillity.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said at a media briefing that the two leaders noted that the special representatives on the India-China boundary question have a critical role to play in the resolution of the issue and for the maintenance of peace and tranquillity in border areas.
Modi and Xi instructed the special representatives to meet at an early date and continue their efforts, he said. "We hope to schedule the next meeting of Special Representatives at an appropriate date," he said.
The foreign secretary said Modi and Xi reviewed the state of bilateral relations from a strategic and long-term perspective and they were of the view that stable ties between the two countries will have a positive impact on regional and global peace and prosperity.
Both Modi and Xi stressed that with maturity and wisdom, and by showing mutual respect, India and China can have a peaceful and stable relationship, Misri said. He said restoration of peace and tranquility in border areas will create space for returning towards the path of normalisation of ties.
Officials will now take the next steps to discuss enhancing strategic communication and stabilising bilateral relations by utilising official dialogue mechanisms, he said.
A TIMELINE ON NARENDRA MODI MEETING WITH XI JINPING:
As Modi and Xi Jinping are scheduled to meet today on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit. Here is a timeline of previous occasions when Modi and Xi Jinping met at different Summits, and during official visits.
17-19 September 2014: This was Xi Jinping's state visit to India. Xi became the first Chinese leader in six decades to be feted at a public reception. Both sides inked 12 agreements, one of which will see China investing $20 billion in India's infrastructure over five years.
May 14-15, 2015 | Xian, China: This was Modi's first visit as PM to China. : PM Modi became the first world leader to be hosted by Xi at his hometown Xian. The two also held wide-ranging discussions on matters like terrorism, the boundary dispute and confidence-building measures at the summit-level talks.
08.07.2015:UFA, RUSSIA; Ahead of SCO and BRICS summits: Meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summits in Ufa, PM Modi and Xi held a "comprehensive" discussion on bilateral ties.
23.06.2016 : Tashkent, Uzbekistan; sidelines of SCO meet: This was PM Modi's fourth meeting with Xi was a significant one, as at the time India had applied for membership to the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) that controls access to sensitive nuclear technology. Modi urged Xi Xinping to conduct a fair and objective assessment of India’s application on merit. However, China has since repeatedly opposed India's bid for entry into the NSG.
04.09.2016: Hangzhou, China; G20 summit: In the bilateral meeting with Xi, PM Modi had raised India’s concerns over the multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) being laid through PoK and told Xi that "to ensure durable ties and their steady development, it is of paramount importance that we respect each other’s aspirations, concerns and strategic interests".
15.10.2016: Goa, BRICS summit: A month after the G20 summit, Modi and Xi came together in Goa where they held "fruitful" discussions on key issues including terrorism, NSG and enhancing trade and investment. The tone of the talks on the sidelines of the eighth BRICS summit was affirmative and positive unlike the bitterness and acrimony that had marked India-China relations in preceding months.
09.06.2017: Astana, Kazakhstan; sidelines of SCO meet: The run-up to Modi and Xi's meeting in Astana was fraught with tension as only a month ago, India had declined an invitation to a Belt and Road Initiative summit hosted by Beijing.
07.07.2017 : Hamburg, Germany; G20 summit: Amid a tense standoff between Indian and Chinese troops at the disputed border territory of Doklam, Prime Minister Narendra Modi informally met President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Germany and had a conversation on a range of issues. The fact that a formal bilateral meeting between the two leaders had not been scheduled was due to Beijing's view that the "atmosphere was not right" for official dialogue between Modi and Xi.
05.09.2017 : Xiamen, China; BRICS summit: The meeting was held after the 73-day Doklam faceoff was resolved. At the BRICS summit, China, for the first time, did not object to the listing of Pakistan-based JeM, LeT and the Haqqani Network as international terror groups.
26-28, April 2018: Wuhan, China; First informal summit: Both leaders reiterated the consensus reached during the first Informal Summit in Wuhan, China in April 2018, that India and China are factors for stability in the current international landscape and that both sides will prudently manage their differences and not allow differences on any issue to become disputes.
09.06.2018: SCO Summit, Qindao, China: Modi and Xi reviewed overall bilateral cooperation between India and China on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Qindao, China. In his opening remarks, Modi said that strong and stable relations between India and China can inspire a stable and peaceful world.
26.07.2018 : Johannesburg, South Africa, BRICS Summit: Modi and Xi held “productive” talks during the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, during which the PM emphasised the need to maintain the “momentum” generated by their recent meetings and provide “proper instructions” to their militaries to maintain peace at the border.
30.11.2018 : Buenos Aires, Argentinia, G20 Summit : PM Modi and Xi met on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Buenos Aires, Argentinia.
13.06.2019 : Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, SCO Summit : Modi and Xi met on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan and discussed ways to further strengthen the bilateral relations.
27.06.2019: Osaka, Japan, G20 Summit : PM Modi held a trilateral meeting with Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Osaka, Japan.
11.10.2019: Second Informal summit in Mamallapuram, Chennai : The two leaders met again during the second informal summit in Mamallapuram, Chennai on October 2019, which was their last bilateral meeting. The two leaders had an in-depth exchange of views in a friendly atmosphere on overarching, long-term and strategic issues of global and regional importance, as per the MEA, and reiterated their understanding that efforts will continue to be made to ensure peace and tranquility in the border areas.
13.11.2019: Brasilia, Brazil , BRICS Summit : Both leaders met on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Brasilia, Brazil in 2019, where Xi invited Modi for the third informal summit in China in 2020.
15.11.2022: Bali G20 summit, Indonesia: The Indian Prime Minister exchanged pleasantries with Xi and held a brief conversation at a dinner hosted by the Indonesian President for the G20 leaders during the 2022 Summit.
22- 24 August 2023 : Johannesburg, South Africa, BRICS Summit: PM Modi and President Xi held a bilateral meeting in Johannesburg on the sidelines of the 15th BRICS Summit. PM Modi during the conversation with Xi highlighted India's concerns at the unresolved issues along the LAC in Ladakh with the two leaders agreeing to direct their relevant officials "to intensify efforts at expeditious disengagement and de-escalation."
