In the picturesque Russian city of Kazan, the venue of the 16th BRICS summit, the leaders of India and China ushered in a new chapter in their ties by resuming the dialogue process that was frozen more than four years ago in the wake of the Galwan killings.
The bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, their first in five years, saw the two leaders taking a long strategic view of their relationship, with both leaders stressing that better relations between India and China are not only good for the two countries but for the region and the world.
The meeting, held at the BRICS summit venue on October 23, was substantive and lasted for around 45 minutes as the two leaders endorsed the border patrolling agreement, which had paved the way for the diplomatic breakthrough in Kazan. In his talks with President Xi, Prime Minister Modi “underscored the importance of not allowing differences on boundary-related matters to disturb peace and tranquility on our borders,” said India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri after the Modi-Xi talks in Kazan.
The meeting culminated in a roadmap for resuming dialogue, which includes a meeting between Special Representatives of India and China and the revival of foreign minister-level talks. “In this context, 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 boundary question and for the maintenance of peace and tranquility in the border areas,” said Mr Misri. The two leaders instructed the SRs to meet at an early date and to continue their efforts in this regard. The last meeting between SRs was held in December 2019.
“The importance of India-China relations is not just for the citizens of our two countries, but also significant for peace, stability, and progress for the entire world,” PM Modi told President Xi. Echoing PM Modi’s views, President Xi Jinping described the meeting as a significant moment, not only for the two nations but for the world at large. “Both the people in our two countries and the international community are paying close attention to our meeting,” Xi remarked, underscoring the global interest in the state of relations between the two largest countries in Asia. With both countries being ancient civilizations and major emerging economies, Xi stressed that their relationship carries global implications, especially as they continue to rise in global prominence.
Looking ahead, for India, maintaining balanced economic relationship with India will be a major priority. In the last four years since the Galwan conflict, India’s bilateral trade with China has grown to over $125 billion, but at the same time trade deficit has grown to over $100 billion. Highly placed sources disclosed that the business community of both countries played a key role in nudging their leaders to resume dialogue.
Significantly, the Modi-Xi meeting took place in Russia on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan. Russian President Vladimir Putin played a crucial behind-the-scenes role in leveraging his excellent relations with both PM Modi and President Xi to get the two leaders to resolve their issues and revive talks.
Going forward, the two sides will also be looking to revive their people-to-people ties which came to a standstill during the last four years. The diplomatic and strategic community the world over will be closely scrutinising the talks to assess how this understanding will be implemented on the ground in the days ahead.
Building on the talks in Kazan, the two countries are also set to enhance their cooperation in multilateral groupings such as BRICS, SCO and G20. In his remarks, Xi also called for both countries to shoulder more responsibility on the global stage, particularly in representing the Global South and advancing the interests of developing countries. “It is important for both sides to contribute to promoting multipolarisation and democracy in international relations,” Xi said, adding that China and India must collaborate to create a more balanced and equitable global order.
BRICS Bonding
Although the Modi-Xi meeting stole the limelight, the 16th BRICS summit in Kazan was highly successful, marking a new phase in the expansion of the grouping by creating a new category of partner countries. The summit culminated in the Kazan Declaration, which reaffirmed support for the aspirations of BRICS countries to play a more prominent role in the UN Security Council. Additionally, the declaration addressed global issues such as terrorism, climate change, and sustainable development, which were key topics of concern raised by India and its fellow members.
At the summit, PM Modi raised the crucial issue of reforming multilateral institutions like the United Nations. He stressed on the need to make these institutions more representative and responsive to the aspirations of emerging economies. PM Modi’s call for reforms was in line with the summit’s broader focus on reshaping global governance for more equitable development. “We need reforms in the UN and multilateral institutions,” he stated, aligning India’s goals with the collective ambitions of BRICS countries.
One of the most significant contributions India made at the BRICS summit was its continued advocacy of the Global South. PN Modi pointed out that BRICS should prioritize the needs of developing nations and align its agenda with their aspirations. “India has been at the forefront of supporting the Global South,” Modi remarked during the open plenary session, where business leaders and financial representatives also participated.
Manish Chand, is CEO, Centre for Global India Insights, a think tank focused on global affairs, and Editor-in-Chief, India Writes Network and India and the World. He is in Kazan to report on and analyse BRICS summit.
