PM Modi, Xi Jinping speak at BRICS sidelines, agree on 'expeditious disengagement' at LAC

PM Modi interacting with Xi Jinping at sidelines of BRICS forum on Aug 24 (Image: Twitter/@ANI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and China's President Xi Jinping held a brief interaction at sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg on August 24, and agreed on "expeditious disengagement" along the western sector of the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Indian foreign ministry said.

Modi, in his conversation with the Chinese head of state, "highlighted India's concerns on the unresolved issue", Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said, while briefing reporters in Johannesburg.

"The prime minister underlined that maintenance of peace and tranquility in the border areas and observing and respecting the LAC are essential for the normalisation of the India-China relationship," he added.

"In this regard, the two leaders agreed to direct their relevant officials to intensify efforts at expeditious disengagement and de-escalation," the foreign secretary further noted.

Notably, a bilateral meeting was not held between Modi and Jinping. Both the leaders attended the 15th BRICS Summit on the invitation of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Their brief interaction was preceded by military-level talks held on the LAC row between both the countries on August 13-14. This was the 19th round of India- China Corps Commander Level Meeting, held at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on the Indian side.

A statement issued by the Indian foreign ministry following the military-level talks said the two sides had "agreed to resolve the remaining issues in an expeditious manner and maintain the momentum of dialogue".

The stand-off in the Ladakh sector of LAC erupted in April-May 2020 after the Chinese forces had attempted to unilaterally change the status quo in the region.

The tensions had escalated in June 2020, after a clash in Galwan Valley led to 20 Indian soldiers losing their lives. The Chinese side had also suffered casualties but did not release the details.

After several rounds of military and diplomatic-level talks, a partial disengagement was reached in August 2021, when the forces on either side pulled back their troops from the Gogra-Hot Springs sector. However, the stand-off continues to remain in some of the other friction points of the Ladakh region.