![[Financial Express]PM Modi, China’s Xi to meet virtually today! China ready to talk friction points with India [Financial Express]PM Modi, China’s Xi to meet virtually today! China ready to talk friction points with India](https://images.financialexpress.com/2020/11/modi-xi.jpg)
![[Financial Express]PM Modi, China’s Xi to meet virtually today! China ready to talk friction points with India [Financial Express]PM Modi, China’s Xi to meet virtually today! China ready to talk friction points with India](https://images.financialexpress.com/2020/11/modi-xi.jpg)
Ahead of the BRICS summit which is scheduled to take place virtually next week, India and China are likely to have a ninth round of talks in an effort to resolve the ongoing standoff between the two countries. Today, at the virtual Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Chinese President Xi Jinping will be meeting for the first time.
According to sources, at the next round of corps commander-level meetings, China is ready to discuss all friction points with India at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, which also includes the Depsang Plains. The Chinese PLA’s troops are in a stand-off with India in the Depsang Plains.
While India has been pushing China for de-escalation and dis-engagement, China has not been willing to discuss all the friction points and has tried to limit the talks to only the southern and northern banks of the Pangong Tso.
The situation so far
According to sources, the ground situation in eastern Ladakh has not changed and at the end of the eighth round of Corps Commander-level meeting, China is now ready to talk all friction points with India. The date and timing have not officially been confirmed. But sources indicate it could either be during this week or early next week.
The Chinese have been demanding that the tanks and artillery guns are withdrawn from both sides to their peacetime location. It has also suggested that Indian troops vacate the strategic heights on the southern bank of Pangong Tso, and that the PLA troops to move back from the Finger 4 area.
According to a joint statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Defence at the end of the eighth round of talks which was led by the new commander of the 14 Corps, Lt Gen PGK Menon, “Both India and China agreed to maintain dialogue and communication through military and diplomatic channels. They also agreed to take forward the discussions for settling the outstanding issues.”
SCO Summit
Against the India-China border standoff, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Chinese President Xi Jinping will be meeting for the first time at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit later today. The summit which is being held virtually will be chaired by the Russian President Vladimir Putin, and all the member countries will be represented by their heads of state.
The member countries including Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan, are expected to set the agenda and main directions for the SCO for 2021 and will get ten minutes to speak. The meeting will also be attended by the heads of state of four observer countries including – Iran, Mongolia, Belarus and Afghanistan, the SCO secretary-general and executive director of the SCO’s Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) are also going to address the members virtually.
What will be the focus of today’s summit?
The virtual meeting which will be headed by Russian President will focus on Politics, security, trade and economy. And it will conclude with the adoption of the Moscow Declaration, which will be based on the joint position of the members on regional and global issues.
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