India-China should consider overall interests of ties and ‘properly handle’ border issue: Xi tells Modi

Johannesburg, Aug 25: China’s Foreign Ministry said early on Friday that President Xi Jinping told Prime Minister Narendra Modi in talks on Wednesday that both sides “should bear in mind the overall interests” of ties and “handle properly the border issue”.

Beijing also said the meeting at the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg came “at the request” of Prime Minister Modi.

Neither side had on Wednesday acknowledged a meeting, but Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said on Thursday both sides agreed to step up efforts for the disengagement of troops and de-escalation of tensions along the Line of Actual Control after a conversation between the two leaders. 

While Mr. Modi and Mr. Xi had spoken briefly on the sidelines of the Bali G20 summit dinner last year about the need to “stabilise the LAC”, where a military standoff has been under way since April 2020, this is the first such conversation where the two leaders spoke at some length on resolving the issue in three years. The conversation could represent a thaw in ties that have been in limbo.

“In a conversation with President Xi Jinping of China PM highlighted India’s concerns on the unresolved issues along the LAC in the western sector of the India-China border areas,” Mr. Kwatra said, adding that the two leaders had decided to “direct their relevant officials to intensify efforts at expeditious disengagement and de-escalation”. Military commanders from both sides have in recent days been negotiating modalities for disengagement in two remaining friction areas in Demchok and Depsang. 

The statement from Beijing early on Friday provided little details on the talks, only saying that “the two leaders had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on current China-India relations and other questions of shared interest”.

It noted that the talks had been held at Mr. Modi’s request.

The statement said “President Xi stressed that improving China-India relations serves the common interests of the two countries and peoples, and is also conducive to peace, stability and development of the world and the region.”

“The two sides should bear in mind the overall interests of their bilateral relations and handle properly the border issue so as to jointly safeguard peace and tranquility in the border region,” he said.