(TibetanReview.net, Nov12’24) –Describing the meeting between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Modi on the sidelines of the BRICs summit in Kazan, Russia, last month as “ice-breaking”, Chinese officials have told a visiting Indian media delegation that the two sides were discussing a slew of measures to bring ties back to “normal” — as it was before the face-off started in April-May 2020 along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Beijing expects that the “wish-list” will materialise soon and it includes “direct flights” between the two countries, easing of visa curbs on Chinese nationals including diplomats and scholars, lifting of the ban on mobile apps, letting Chinese journalists come to India and report, allowing more Indian movies in Chinese theatres, among others, reported the indianexpress.com Nov 12.
The report said this was the message from several meetings The Indian Express had with Chinese officials, scholars and analysts in state-run think-tanks and media organisations.
Officials in Beijing have said Xi and Modi share a “personal friendship, that was visible as both chose to not refer to the “talking points” prepared by their aides for the bilateral meeting, during what was their first meeting in five years since the Covid-19 pandemic and the LAC face-off.
They have also said the two countries’ leaders had asked the Special Representatives (SRs), the Foreign Ministers and the Deputy Foreign Ministers to discuss the next steps and the meetings.
Stressing that China wants to integrate and open up to the wider world, one Chinese official has said: “On this issue, both China and India have the same perspective… during the Kazan meet, our leaders met and they took the relationship to a strategic height. They need to address all issues together.”
“The border issue has to be resolved at a faster pace. But we don’t think that issue should be the centre of the relationship. There have been 20 rounds of talks at the level of commanders and diplomats. There has been disengagement in specific points and that happened before the leaders met. The leaders gave positive direction to the talks… The two leaders always want to push the relationship to a better situation… this time Modi did not read from the talking points or the official notes. He spoke from the heart. And so did President Xi. This showed the connection they have,” the Chinese official has said.
The official has also indicated that former US President Donald Trump’s return to the White House indicated a toughening of position by the US. India and China, therefore, should “work together” to find solutions to the common challenges confronting the two countries.
Given the fact that the border standoff had cast a long shadow on political ties between the two countries, the report said that after the Oct 21 announcement of a breakthrough, the two countries started patrolling along the LAC. This is an important step in the three-step process: disengagement, de-escalation and de-induction of troops.
The next steps are expected to be finalised by the two governments, and it began with the leaders of the two countries meeting on Oct 23 on the sidelines of the BRICS leaders’ summit in Russia, the report said.