'China had requested': Govt sources rebut Beijing's claim on PM Modi-Xi meet

Indian government refuted Beijing's claims regarding a proposed meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Chinese President, Xi Jinping and asserted that China requested a bilateral interaction between the two leaders on the sidelines of BRICS Summit, reported India Today on Friday.

"There was a pending request from the Chinese side for a bilateral meeting. The two leaders, however, had an informal conversation in the Leaders' Lounge during the BRICS Summit," India Today quoted sources as saying.

They emphasised that all high-level interactions and meetings are finalised through diplomatic channels, and currently, there's no confirmed information on any such request.

PM Modi and President Xi had a brief conversation as they shared the stage in South Africa during the BRICS summit. On Thursday, the government had said that PM Modi highlighted to President Xi "India's concerns on the unresolved issues along the Line of Actual Control (LAC)".

India's Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra on Thursday said PM Modi conveyed to President Xi India's concerns on the "unresolved" issues along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, underlining that maintenance of peace and tranquility in border areas was essential for normalisation of India-China ties.

The government refers to the eastern Ladakh region as Western Sector.

Meanwhile, Chinese foreign ministry, in a statement, said both the leaders had a “candid and in-depth exchange of views” on the relations between the two countries.

“President Xi Jinping talked with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit at the latter’s request on August 23, 2023,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin in a statement.

“The two leaders had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on current China-India relations and other questions of shared interest. 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 statement read on the Chinese foreign ministry's official website.

It added, “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.”

The relationship between India and China, two of Asia's largest economies, witnessed a significant downturn following border tensions in Ladakh. Both nations engaged in multiple rounds of military and diplomatic talks in an attempt to deescalitate the situation, however, the conflict remains unresolved.

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