PM likely to be at Brics’ China meet next month

Despite the Sino-Indian military tensions amid the Doklam standoff, China is pitching for a successful Brics summit in the Chinese city of Xiamen next month, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to be present, on the grounds that it’s in the “interests of all nations”.

Chinese President Xi Jinping had attended the Brics summit in Goa last year. At an informal Brics meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Hamburg last month, Mr Modi was quoted as saying last month: “Under President Xi’s chairmanship, the progress and positive momentum of Brics has further deepened our cooperation.” President Xi had also appreciated the momentum of Brics during India’s chairmanship.

“The successful holding of the summit is in the interests of all nations,” diplomatic sources said in New Delhi. China appears to be trying its best to delink the Doklam standoff from the multilateral Brics forum and summit that it will host.

Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa are members of Brics.

Whether the Doklam standoff will be resolved by the time the Brics summit takes place will be keenly watched in view of Mr Modi’s expected visit. China has lambasted India over the past several weeks, demanding the withdrawal of Indian troops. Indian and Chinese troops have been involved in a seven-week faceoff at Doklam, which India and Bhutan consider Bhutanese territory. China, however, regards it as its own territory and calls it Dong Lang. China has maintained that “there cannot be any room for discussion except that India withdraws its troops”, and that Delhi should not resort to any “stalling tactics” or harbour any “illusions.”