Xi, Modi meet-up

China and India took a leap forward to address regional imbalance as they touched upon their territorial disputes. The meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Johannesburg between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was unique in the sense that they brought forth their irritants at a multilateral forum, and seized an opportunity to have a tete-a-tete. Both the emerg­ing economies of the world have grave ramifications for the region and beyond, if they go to war or disrupt the supply chain. The encounter, and later a public presser, hinted at the gravity of the situation, and the desire for ushering in congeniality in their otherwise strained relations.

Beijing and New Delhi are in a freeze since they clashed over the Himalayan borders in 2020. The duel had left India bleeding and badly battered. Since then, there is not only a standoff on the icy frontiers, but also bitter animosity in their interstate relations pitching India to side with the US in a bizarre attempt to browbeat China. India becoming a member of QUAD and striking a strategic understanding with Washington are aimed at buoying its height in the comity of nations as it confronts an upcoming superpower.

To this day, reportedly 19 rounds of talks between both the countries have yielded no result as none are willing to budge their stated positions. In such a scenario, the rubbing of shoulders between the two Asian giants is a good omen for diplomacy, and squarely exhibited Xi’s statesmanship as he took no qualms in even meeting US secretary of state Anthony Blinken, when the latter came visiting at the Peoples’ Hall.

India must walk a few extra steps by reading between the lines from its BRICS muddling. It has a territorial dispute with Pakistan, and the crisis in Occupied Kashmir poses existential threats. So why not talk it out with Islamabad too, and address the human imbroglio of more than 10 million people in the held Valley. There is no rationale in adopting an Ostrich syndrome with Pakistan, and dou­bling down when it comes to China.