PM Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping had 'agreed' to mend ties in Bali
New Delhi, July 27
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping had reached a “consensus” to restore bilateral ties during their meeting on the margins of the G20 summit in Bali last year, acknowledged the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), days after its Chinese counterpart had made the claim.
MEA admission after statement by China
- The PM, Xi met on margins of G20 meet in 2022, says MEA
- MEA statement comes days after China made the claim
- Foreign Secy Kwatra had earlier denied the meeting in Bali
Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra, when briefing the media on the PM’s engagements in Bali last year, had said the two leaders had only exchanged courtesies at the dinner hosted by Indonesian President Joe Wikodo. Since then, analysts have panned Sino-Indian ties with the understanding that both leaders had cold-shouldered each other at Bali.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry had made the revelation in a statement on the meeting between NSA Ajit Doval and Director of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China Wang Yi in Johannesburg on the margins of the BRICS meeting of NSAs. On Tuesday, Wang was reappointed China’s Foreign Minister, after his successor Qin Gang was sacked from the post.
MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi initially said the Foreign Secretary had said the PM and Xi exchanged courtesies and spoke of the need to stabilise bilateral relations. But when informed that the transcript did not mention any such thing, Bagchi said the two leaders had indeed conversed.
