China, India arranging meeting for Xi, Modi, China's foreign ministry says - Reuters

**China and India Move Toward a Xi‑Modi Summit, Foreign Ministry Confirms**

Beijing’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Tuesday that senior officials from China and India are finalising arrangements for a face‑to‑face meeting between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. While a precise date has not been disclosed, diplomats say the leaders are expected to meet during the upcoming BRICS summit in Johannesburg later this month, a venue that would mark the first high‑level bilateral encounter since Modi’s visit to China in 2023. The announcement comes amid a broader diplomatic thaw, with both sides emphasizing a “strategic” and “long‑term” perspective on their relationship, according to statements released by the ministry and reported by *Reuters*.

The agenda is likely to centre on three core issues that have dominated the Sino‑Indian dialogue in recent years: trade, border management, and multilateral cooperation. Trade officials have warned that lingering mistrust—particularly over market access and technology transfer—continues to restrain the potential of a bilateral commerce that exceeded $115 billion in 2023. Meanwhile, border tensions along the Line of Actual Control remain a sensitive subject; both capitals have pledged “to manage differences” while avoiding escalation, a phrasing echoed in coverage by *NDTV* and *The Hindu*. Observers also expect the leaders to discuss coordination within the BRICS framework, where both nations seek to bolster a “strategic partnership” that can counterbalance Western‑led economic initiatives.

Analysts view the prospective Xi‑Modi summit as a litmus test for the resilience of Asia’s two largest economies amid shifting global dynamics. If successful, the meeting could pave the way for renewed confidence‑building measures, joint infrastructure projects, and a more coordinated stance on issues ranging from climate change to supply‑chain security. However, skeptics caution that deep‑seated strategic rivalries, especially in the Indo‑Pacific theatre, may limit the scope of any breakthroughs. The outcome will likely shape not only bilateral ties but also the broader balance of power in a region increasingly contested by major powers.

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