India on Friday refuted China’s claim that the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg happened at New Delhi’s request. In an official statement, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that “President Xi Jinping spoke with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit at the latter’s request on August 23, 2023”.

Indian government sources said that “there was a pending request from the Chinese side for a bilateral meeting” between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Modi. The sources confirmed the two leaders had an “informal conversation” at the Leaders Lounge during the BRICS Summit at Johannesburg.

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Giving details about the discussions that happened during PM Modi and President Jinping’s meeting, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that the two leaders had a candid and in-depth exchange of views and stressed the need to improve bilateral relations for the peace and stability of the world and region. After the conclusion of the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South America, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said that PM Modi had a brief conversation with President Jinping.

During the conversation, PM Modi highlighted India’s concerns about the unresolved issues along the LAC in the western sector of the India-China border. Mr Modi told the Chinese President that respecting the Line of Actual Control was essential for normalisation of India-China bilateral relations.