Prime Minister Narendra Modi briefly paused his BRICS Summit address on Day 1 to check on Chinese President Xi Jinping after appearing to notice that something was wrong. Click here for LIVE updates on Day 2 of the Summit
PM Modi and Xi Jinping held bilateral talks in New Delhi on September 12, on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit. The meeting lasted more than 50 minutes. The Chinese president was reported to have returned to his hotel to rest.
He repeated the question moments later. It was not immediately clear what had caused Xi’s apparent discomfort. Both sides agreed that differences should not turn into disputes and reiterated the need to work towards a fair and mutually acceptable resolution of the boundary question. Xi has described India and China as partners rather than rivals and called for a long-term approach to bilateral relations and cooperation.
“Is it okay,” PM Modi asked the translator accompanying the Chinese president. Modi spoke of the principles of “mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest” while discussing bilateral ties. Modi, in the middle of his speech on Saturday, stopped and turned towards Xi, who was in India for the first time in seven years to attend the summit. Xi did not attend the gala dinner hosted by Modi for BRICS leaders on Saturday.
