Border To Trade To Visas: A Lot Will Be On Table At Big Modi-Xi Bilateral Today

ShowQuick Read Summary is AI-generated, newsroom-reviewed Prime Minister Modi and President Xi will hold bilateral talks during the BRICS summitDiscussions will focus on LAC border issues, trade, investment, and economic engagementTensions in Arunachal Pradesh and China's Brahmaputra dam project will be key topics What would an effective framework for managing India-China differences look like? New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold bilateral talks on Saturday evening on the sidelines of the BRICS summit. The two leaders are expected to discuss a range of issues, from the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) to trade, investment and economic engagement.

While the meeting is expected to focus on consolidating the recent stabilisation in India-China ties, the border issue is likely to remain central to the discussions, as per media reports.

The management of the border and maintaining peace and tranquillity along the LAC are expected to be key issues. India has consistently maintained that the state of bilateral relations cannot be divorced from developments along the border.

China, however, has traditionally argued that the boundary question should be handled separately from the broader relationship.

Xi Jinping arrived in India on Saturday (Photo: PTI)

Recent tensions reported in the Taksing area of Upper Subansiri district in Arunachal Pradesh in July, followed by corps commander-level talks, could also figure in discussions. Both sides have continued to use diplomatic and military channels to prevent misunderstandings and maintain stability along the LAC.

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A sustained period of peace and tranquillity along the border is seen as essential for the normalisation and further development of bilateral ties.

Differences over Arunachal Pradesh are another likely point of discussion. India maintains that Arunachal Pradesh is an inalienable and integral part of the country.

China has repeatedly objected to India's moves to standardise the names of locations in the state, including the latest exercise involving 27 places. The two sides also continue to have differences over the eastern sector of the LAC.

China's planned mega hydropower project on the upper reaches of the Brahmaputra, known in Tibet as the Yarlung Tsangpo, is another issue that India is expected to raise.

The proposed project, reportedly estimated at around $137 billion, has triggered concerns in India over its potential downstream impact.

New Delhi has called for greater transparency and information-sharing on projects along the transboundary river.

Concerns over the Brahmaputra have also gained significance amid recent extreme weather and glacier-related developments in the region.

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