BRICS Summit: Narendra Modi, Xi Jinping expected to meet on Tuesday

Xiamen (China): Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to hold a bilateral meeting on Tuesday, nearly a week after India and China announced a resolution of the 73-day-long Doklam standoff.

Officials said the two leaders are scheduled to hold a meeting on September 5 on the sidelines of the 9th Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (Brics) summit, which will start on Monday in this Chinese port city.

After the bilateral meeting with the host, Mr Modi will travel to Myanmar. Chinese and Indian troops were engaged in a standoff since June 16 after the Indian side stopped the construction of a road by the Chinese Army.

Mr Modi will also hold bilateral meetings with other leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt, which is among the five counties — Mexico, Guinea, Thailand and Tajikistan — invited by China as part of the “Brics Plus” outreach exercise.

Opening the 9th annual summit of the five emerging economies here on Sunday, Chinese President Xi Jinping asked the Brics members to shelve their differences and accommodate each other’s concerns by enhancing mutual trust and strategic communication. The opening ceremony of the three-day Brics summit started with the Brics Business Council in this southeastern Chinese city in Fujian province amid a downpour set off by Typhoon Mawar, which had caused widespread disruption to the summit preparations. It also caused considerable disruption to flights.

In his speech broadly focusing on enhancing cooperation between the Brics members, Mr Xi said: “Construction of a tall building starts with the foundation. We have laid the foundation and put in place the framework for Brics cooperation.”

Outlining Brics cooperation in the last 10 years, he said treating each other as equals and seeking common ground while shelving differences is an important part of cooperation. “In terms of Brics cooperation, decisions are made through consultation (and) not by one country. We respect each other’s model of development, accommodate each other’s concerns and work to enhance strategic communication and mutual trust,” he told about 1,000 delegates from different countries.

“Given difference in national conditions, history and cultures, it is only natural we may have some differences in pursuing our cooperation,” he said.

“However, with strong faith in cooperation and enhancing collaboration, the Brics countries can achieve steady progress in our cooperation,” he added. In a candid speech without directly referring to differences, Mr Xi referred to his multi-billion dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), in which the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a crucial component. India had protested over CPEC as it passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. India had also boycotted the Belt and Road Forum (BRF) hosted by China in May.