China parries question on Modi-Xi meeting on margins of BRICS summit

China's foreign ministry on Monday parried questions on a possible meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Russia this week.

"We will keep you posted if anything comes up," foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said while replying to a question at a media briefing in Beijing.

Both Modi and Xi are attending the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, which begins Tuesday and ends on Thursday.

Ahead of PM Modi's visit to Kazan, foreign secretary Vikram Misri said in New Delhi on Monday that Indian and Chinese negotiators have reached an agreement on patrolling along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. However, there was no reaction in Beijing to the agreement announced by Misri.

Ties between India and China nosedived following the fierce clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020, which marked the most serious military conflict between the two nations in decades.

China last Friday announced that Xi will attend the BRICS summit in Russia, where he will work with other parties to open a new era for the Global South to seek strength through solidarity.

BRICS originally consisted of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, which is where the acronym comes from. Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates have been admitted as new members. The theme of this year's summit is 'Strengthening Multilateralism for Just Global Development and Security'.

Another Chinese ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, said Xi will attend small-group and large-group meetings, BRICS Plus Dialogue, and deliver important addresses.

Xi will also have in-depth exchanges with other leaders on the international landscape, the BRICS practical cooperation, the development of the BRICS mechanism and important issues of mutual interest, she said.

"China stands ready to work with other parties to strive for the steady and sustained development of greater BRICS cooperation, open a new era for the Global South to seek strength through solidarity and jointly promote world peace and development," she said.