Modi and Xi meet amid tensions at Arunachal border
Ongoing tensions at the India-China border in Arunachal Pradesh will be a key issue during this meeting.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday (September 12, 2026). The main focus of this meeting between the two leaders is expected to be on trade and improving relations between the people of both countries. However, the ongoing tension along the India-China border (Arunachal Pradesh) will remain a significant issue in the backdrop of this meeting.
According to Xinhua News, China and India are preparing for a meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the upcoming 18th BRICS Summit to be held in New Delhi. A spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry provided this information on Friday.
Xi Jinping has previously visited India twice. He participated in the BRICS summit held in Goa in 2016 and the subsequent informal summit in Mamallapuram. However, this will be the first time since 2014 that Xi Jinping will visit Delhi.
Many issues raised during the 2014 visit remain unresolved. Meanwhile, since 2020, the two leaders have not made any bilateral visits to each other's countries.
The Hindu reported that experts say,
It would be premature to announce a major ‘reset’ in India-China relations at this time. However, this is the third meeting between the two leaders in the last three years, and it is hoped that it will help bridge differences and make dialogue more open.
Former Foreign Secretary of India and former Ambassador to China and the United States Nirupama Menon Rao told The Hindu that there is a need to transform the periodic summit meetings between India and China into a stable and continuous process. She stated that this process should also advance towards stabilizing military and political fronts as well as economic relations.
The biggest concern for New Delhi is the ongoing tension along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Although a disengagement announcement was made in October 2024 regarding the withdrawal of troops from all major confrontation points between the two countries, the situation along the border has not fully normalized.
Subsequently, agreements have been made regarding patrolling arrangements in almost all areas of confrontation between the two countries. There has also been an agreement to maintain buffer zones in some areas.
The situation in the western sector, where violent clashes occurred at Pangong Tso lake and Galwan during the tensions in 2020, has stabilized to some extent. However, more attention is now focused on the eastern sector, particularly areas related to Arunachal Pradesh.
According to local reports, as well as several officials from the government, army, and security,
Indian Army and Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) personnel are still deployed at the forward positions along the LAC in the Tawang region and beyond.
It has been reported that the PLA has set up tents in elevated areas, while the Indian Army has also increased the number of troops patrolling the area following a brief skirmish in July.
Nirupama Menon Rao stated that there have been reports of attempts to change the status quo in the eastern sector. In this context, a clear outcome of the Modi-Xi meeting should be that both leaders reaffirm the necessity of maintaining peace along the border. Following this, steps can be taken to gradually normalize relations between the two countries.
She also mentioned that Prime Minister Modi should raise the issue of China's support to Pakistan during Operation Sindoor in May 2025.
Officials from the Ministry of External Affairs have not confirmed whether India will directly raise the current border situation during the talks. However, officials from both countries are continuously engaged in high-level discussions to resolve the border dispute.
Last week, two meetings at the core commander level took place between the two countries in the eastern sector. This development followed National Security Advisor Ajit Doval's visit to Beijing and special representative-level talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
In these discussions, both sides agreed to increase the number of existing five locations for Border Personnel Meetings (BPM). This is considered an important step. Until now, major meetings of border commanders have been held at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point in eastern Ladakh. Even after the deadly clash in Galwan in June 2020, discussions were held under this mechanism.
The Modi-Xi meeting is also likely to review special representative-level talks. Discussions may focus on the long-term resolution process of the border dispute. The actual nature of the LAC and its shared definition between the two countries has not yet been fully determined. The process of demarcating, marking, and identifying the border is part of this broader resolution.
The issue of rivers flowing across the border between India and China has also become significant in the discussions. Following the sudden floods caused by the breaking of glaciers on the China-Nepal border last month, which resulted in thousands of deaths, disaster management experts have emphasized the need for sharing more information related to rivers. Experts have also raised demands for increased monitoring of dams being constructed by China in upper regions and for sharing related data.
Issues related to trade, export controls, and investment are also expected to be prominently raised during the Modi-Xi meeting. Since 2014, bilateral trade between India and China has nearly doubled, reaching around $150 billion last year. However, during the same period, India's trade deficit with China has also increased nearly threefold to $113 billion. In 2014, this deficit was approximately $38 billion. Additionally, the periodic restrictions imposed by China on the export of critical minerals and heavy infrastructure equipment have raised concerns for India.
India has recently eased security-related restrictions on Chinese foreign direct investment (FDI) imposed in 2020. Nevertheless, China continues to raise the issue of alleged discriminatory treatment of its companies in India.
Following the recommendation for an investigation against Chinese telecom company Xiaomi by India's Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) last week, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated that India should ensure a 'fair, just, transparent, and non-discriminatory business environment' for companies from all countries.
According to Nirupama Menon Rao, strategic dialogue between India and China can be welcomed, but the issue of reciprocity between both sides should be addressed. These issues include India's trade deficit, access for Indian companies to the market in China, investment and visa restrictions, and sharing data related to cross-border rivers.
She stated that the Modi-Xi meeting should not be presented as a 'reset' of India-China relations. However, this meeting could help create a framework in which both countries move towards competitive coexistence while openly acknowledging their differences and gradually increasing the number of areas where their interests align.