NEW DELHI: PM
Narendra Modi and Chinese President
Xi Jinping met on the sidelines of the
G20 summit
in
Hamburg
on Friday, even after both sides having earlier ruled out a formal bilateral meeting. Despite the denials, however, there was always a chance that the leaders could end up in a pull aside. Indian government sources didn't state if the confrontation over Chinese attempts to build a road in an area seen as Bhutanese territory figured in the talks. According to reports from Hamburg, the conversation lasted for about 5-7 minutes.
The MEA spokesperson also tweeted a photograph of Modi and Xi shaking hands. Though it is unclear how soon the situation will be resolved, the brief interaction may set the stage for enhanced diplomacy. The Indian military intervention is based on the firm conviction that China's attempts to realign the ground situation must be stalled to prevent the PLA from gaining an advantage over Indian defences at the tri-junction.
Modi seemed to reach out to Xi at the informal
BRICS leaders' meeting as he appreciated momentum in BRICS under the chairmanship of Xi and extended full cooperation and best wishes for the BRICS Xiamen Summit.
Concluding the meeting after the PM's remarks, Xi appreciated, according to Indian officials, India's strong resolve against terrorism and the momentum in BRICS introduced under India's chairmanship and through the outcomes of the Goa Summit in 2016. "He also appreciated India's success in economic and social development and wished India even bigger success," said a press release. China and India have been engaged in a standoff in the
Doklam
area for the past three weeks .