By – Prakarsh Kastwar
On the fringes of the Brics Summit in Johannesburg last week, Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Xi had a chat that was described differently by India and China.
In the midst of rumors that President Xi Jinping will not attend the G20 Summit in India next month, persons with knowledge of the situation said on Thursday that Beijing has not yet officially confirmed President Xi Jinping’s attendance.
The conflict between India and China, which has lasted for more than three years along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), has been one of the worst periods in the two nations’ relations in the past sixty years. The Ladakh sector of the LAC is home to more than 50,000 troops on either side.
The individuals previously mentioned, who requested anonymity, stated that official confirmation of Xi’s attendance at the G20 Summit scheduled for September 9–10 in New Delhi was still pending from the Chinese side.
One of the individuals stated, “As of yesterday [Wednesday], there was no confirmation about the Chinese president’s participation in the G20 Summit.”
Another person claimed that the Chinese side had made suggestions that Xi might not go and that China might send another leader in his place.
Reuters reported that Xi is likely to boycott the G20 Summit, citing an unnamed Indian official in New Delhi, two foreign diplomats, and an official working for the government of another G20 countries in China. According to the article, Premier Li Qiang will represent China during the meeting.
The Chinese and Indian sides did not issue any official statements regarding the situation.
China attempted to downplay the LAC standoff as a “historical issue” that doesn’t represent all of bilateral relations last week, while India and China offered different interpretations of a conversation between Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Xi on the fringes of the Brics Summit in Johannesburg.
While China’s foreign ministry released a readout stating that the talk was held at the request of the Indian leadership, the Indian side had made it clear that the Modi-Xi meeting was the result of an ongoing Chinese request for a bilateral meeting.
During the conversation, Modi warned Xi that preserving calm and tranquility in the border regions as well as respecting the LAC are “essential” for normalizing bilateral relations. Additionally, the Indian side stated that the two leaders decided to “direct their relevant officials to intensify efforts at expeditious disengagement and de-escalation”.
Modi told Xi during the conversation that maintaining peace and tranquillity in the border areas and respecting the LAC are “essential” for normalising bilateral ties. The Indian side further said the two leaders agreed to “direct their relevant officials to intensify efforts at expeditious disengagement and de-escalation”.
After more than twenty rounds of diplomatic and military negotiations, the two sides have struggled to resolve the remaining places of contention on the LAC, particularly Depsang and Demchok.
Additionally, the G20 Summit was anticipated to serve as the setting for potential one-on-one encounters between Xi and other world leaders, including Modi and US President Joe Biden, who has confirmed his attendance.
Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, has already stated that he will not be going to New Delhi, and that the mission will be led by Sergey Lavrov, the foreign minister.
Since China relaxed its rigorous Covid-19-related restrictions this year, Xi has made few trips abroad.