India, China agree to maintain border tranquillity as PM Narendra, Xi Jinping meet in South Africa

PM Narendra Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the annual BRICS Summit in South Afica's Johannesburg.

Johannesburg: India and China have reiterated their commitment to maintain peace and tranquillity along their border by enhancing communications between their militaries during a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the annual BRICS Summit in South Africa's Johannesburg.

"Both leaders have reaffirmed once again their readiness to give their militaries the necessary directions to enhance communications between them and to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas," Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said at a media briefing late on Thursday.

MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar also later tweeted a picture of PM Modi's meeting with Xi on the sidelines of the BRICS summit here.

Taking forward the spirit of cooperation following Summit meetings in Wuhan and Qingdao, PM @narendramodi had a substantive meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Johannesburg on the sidelines of #BRICS Summit. Discussed steps to further build trust & cooperation. pic.twitter.com/S8JlIqpy1w — Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) July 26, 2018

Besides Xi, PM Modi also met Russian President Vladimir Putin and held talks on a wide range of issues.

Never too late! Last bilateral meeting of the day, between PM @narendramodi & Russian President Putin got over at midnight local time. Both leaders had a comprehensive discussion on bilateral issues of mutual interest, specially in trade & investment, energy, defence and tourism. pic.twitter.com/mgnJpKT1Nx — Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) July 26, 2018

The ties between India and China were hit due to a stand-off between their armies for over two months on the Doklam plateau at the India-Bhutan-China tri-junction last year.

The stand-off began in June when the Indian troops objected to the construction of a road by the Chinese Army in the area, citing the disputed status of the region and its close proximity to India`s artery in the northeast.

New Delhi objected to Chinese road building in Doklam because of the disputed status and its proximity to the Siliguri Corridor which links India`s northeast to the rest of the country.

The stand-off ended in August after both sides retreated from the point of the face-off.

Thursday`s meeting was the third between Modi and Xi after their informal meeting in Wuhan, China, in April initiated by Xi, and on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Summit (SCO) last month.

During the Wuhan meet, both Modi and Xi pledged to keep the India-China border quiet and personally guide their respective armies to avert a Doklam-like military stand-off in future.

According to Gokhale, during the meeting in Johannesburg, both sides saw "forward movement in the sense of delegations going to have specific talks on imports by China".

He said that a delegation representing the Indian pharmaceutical industry will visit China on August 21-22.

He also informed that Beijing had given the approval to import of generic Indian cancer-treatment drugs earlier this year.

"In addition, a number of Indian mills in the non-Basmati rice sector have been cleared by a Chinese delegation on the grounds of phytosanitary and quarantine requirement," the Foreign Secretary said.

Following the Modi-Xi meeting in Qingdao, the 2006 Protocol on phytosanitary requirements for exporting rice from India to China was amended to include the export of non-Basmati varieties of rice from India.

Gokhale described the bilateral meeting as "very productive".

"The two leaders will meet again on the margins of the G20 Summit in Argentina at the end of this year," he added.

Modi and Xi earlier in the day participated in the 10th BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) Summit here.

Prime Minister Modi had reached South Africa on Wednesday evening on the final leg of his three-nation visit to Africa. 

PM @narendramodi welcomed by the host of the evening South African President @CyrilRamaphosa on the eve of the 10th #BRICS Summit beginning tomorrow. #IndiaatBRICS pic.twitter.com/PryEA3UK6S — Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) July 25, 2018

He had earlier visited Rwanda and Uganda. 

India is likely to sign MoUs in the fields of education, skill, health and agriculture with South Africa.

For the very first time, a BRICS leaders' retreat is being organised wherein the leaders will deliberate and take stock of BRICS co-operation during the decade and on its future prospects.

(With IANS inputs)