Modi-Xi meet at BRICS: India, China leaders begin talks amid push to reset ties

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping convened on Saturday in New Delhi, marking a renewed attempt to mend relations between the two long-time rivals. The meeting comes on the heels of a deadly border clash six years ago, which has left deep mistrust between the two nations.

Xi expressed China's approach to relations with India as being strategic and long-term. He encouraged the two countries to leverage each other's strengths, support one another, and strive for common development. Xi also called for high-quality cooperation between India and China, asserting that as major members of the Global South, they should promote a more multipolar world and contribute to global peace and stability.

Modi expressed gratitude for China's support in hosting the BRICS summit. Notably, China will host the summit next year. In 2020, a military clash between the two nations along their disputed frontier in the Ladakh region resulted in at least 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese soldiers losing their lives. This clash significantly deteriorated ties between the two countries, which have since made efforts to ease tensions but have struggled to overcome deep-rooted mistrust.

Since their 1962 war, both countries' economies have flourished, but China has outpaced India in terms of growth and boasts a substantial trade surplus with its neighbor. The economic rivalry between the two nations has only added to their already existing territorial and strategic differences. India has taken advantage of China's rising labor costs and strained ties with the United States and Europe to position itself as an alternative manufacturing hub. Additionally, India has been wary of China's Belt and Road Initiative and has strongly opposed it.

However, India's growing strategic partnership with the U.S. has raised concerns in Beijing, which perceives the relationship as part of efforts to counter China's rising influence. This encounter between Modi and Xi at the BRICS summit in New Delhi is a significant step in testing whether the recent diplomatic thaw can lead to broader stabilization in relations between the two nuclear-armed nations.