There seems to be euphoria in diplomatic and media circles after the meetings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China, on the sidelines of 16th Brics Summit at Kazan on 23 October 2024.
The meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Brics summit at Kazan marks a significant moment in the evolving dynamics between two of the world’s largest economies.
The two leaders met at Kazan in Russia this evening on the margins of the BRICS Summit. This was after five years that they had a bilateral meeting.
At a media briefing, Mr Misri said the time and venue of the meeting are being worked out by the two sides.
In the complex theatre of global politics, Xi Jinping’s China stands as a self-assured protagonist, asserting its vision of a multipolar world with a conviction that borders on swagger.
Markedly, China ~ unlike the Kremlin ~ is yet to disclose its version of the summit which, according to the Kremlin, continued for an hour and a half. Mr Putin is said to have concurred with Mr Xi’s criticism of Western military activity in the Asia-Pacific region, exemplified by Australia’s deal to deploy nuclear-powered submarines with the support of America and Britain.
Besides economic muscle flexing, China has been militarily and strategically increasing its area of influence in the Asian region. Recent examples of Chinese posturing are frequent entry into Taiwanese air space, disputes in the East China Sea and forceful occupation of islands in the South China Sea, disputes with Asian neighbors including India and Asean countries.
Xi returns to Mao in his efforts to build a personality cult around himself. Since coming to power, he has cultivated the image of being “a man of the people” in a bid to make his authoritarianism more palpable to the masses. The new primary school textbooks emphasise Xi’s wisdom, friendliness and care for the children.
Chinese experts predict the Taiwan question will be a major topic of concern at the meeting, state media tabloid Global Times reported.
The visual, beamed through the Associated Press, reaffirms the development, though China’s foreign ministry spokesman, Wang Wenbin, has pleaded ignorance.
