Mint Explainer: Modi, Xi meet on sidelines of BRICS Summit. Why is it important

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping of China met on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa. This marks only the second time that the two leaders have spoken in person about the state of bilateral ties since their brief encounter at the Bali G20 Summit in Indonesia last year. • According to India’s foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra, Modi expressed India’s concerns about the ongoing border standoff between the two countries. “The two sides should bear in mind the overall interests of their bilateral relations & handle properly the border issue so as to jointly safeguard peace & tranquility in the border region," reads a press release by the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi. • This high-level declaration comes soon after the 19th round of Corps Commanders talks and Major General-level talks focused on pushing through disengagement on key sections of the disputed border.