On the margins of the BRICS conference in Russia on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will have their first bilateral meeting since the 2020 Galwan conflict, according to Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. Following a consensus on a patrolling arrangement along the Line of Actual Control, which suffered several setbacks in recent years, the meeting will highlight the improvement in India-China relations.
Mr. Misri declared that the bilateral was underway amid rumours of re-established relations. “I can confirm that there will be a bilateral meeting held between Prime Minister Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping tomorrow on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit,” the news agency cited him as saying.
Since the 2020 Galwan clash, the two leaders have had a few brief encounters, including during the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, in August 2023, and the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, in November 2022.
Both leaders are presently in Kazan, Russia, where Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa and Russian President Vladimir Putin are also there for the conference.
Four years after the conflict in the Galwan Valley, the patrolling arrangement’s breakthrough marks a shift towards de-escalation in an area where tens of thousands of troops were stationed by both nations. The agreement, which calls for a return to the pre-2020 system, is also an attempt to defuse the tension and foster mutual trust between Beijing and Delhi.
On June 15, 2020, Indian and Chinese troops engaged in combat in the Galwan Valley as part of a significant escalation along the Line of Actual Control. Bilateral relations were strained as a result of the casualties suffered by both sides.
A return to the pre-Galwan situation has proven elusive, despite a steady de-escalation. It has caused friction in other sectors in addition to bilateral relations.
For four years, there had been no direct travel between the two countries. After further security measures were implemented and investments from businesses in nearby nations required additional screening and security clearances, a visa for Chinese technicians was issued.
