Modi-Xi meet may speed up India-China thaw, but border key test: Ex-envoy

Xi Jinping is expected to meet Narendra Modi in New Delhi during the BRICS Summit. The talks may speed the thaw in ties, but movement on the LAC will decide how far normalisation goes.Ashok Kantha, Former Indian Ambassador to China; Sanjay Bhattacharya, Former BRICS Sherpa and Indian Ambassador, and Dmitry Sotnikov, Deputy CEO, VTB at India Today BRICS Roundtable (Photo: ITG)Chinese President Xi Jinping's upcoming meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi could accelerate the gradual rebuilding of India-China ties, but progress along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) will remain the key test of whether relations can return to normal, former Indian Ambassador to China Ashok Kantha said.Xi is set to arrive in New Delhi on Saturday for the BRICS Summit, where he is expected to meet Modi for the first time on Indian soil since the 2020 Galwan Valley clash.Speaking at an India Today BRICS Roundtable on Thursday, Kantha said the meeting could result in "some signalling" that the ongoing process of rebuilding bilateral ties will be accelerated.Kantha said India-China relations have been gradually recovering since Modi and Xi met in Kazan in October 2024, following years of tensions triggered by the military standoff in eastern Ladakh. "We are nowhere close to a reset in ties," he said, adding that the focus so far has been on people-centric contacts and that greater emphasis could now be placed on economic engagement.China is India's largest trading partner, but the growing trade imbalance remains a major concern. According to Chinese statistics cited by Kantha, China's trade surplus with India stood at USD 116 billion last year. He said investment flows, China's tighter regime for outward direct investment and technology transfer are among the issues that need to be discussed upfront.BORDER REMAINS THE BIG TESTOn the security front, Kantha said India is looking for an "early and substantial harvest" in efforts to address the 3,488-km LAC.He said a limited agreement confined to the Sikkim sector would be of little interest to India, adding that New Delhi wants progress covering Sikkim, the Middle Sector and the highest watershed principle.While the border is currently stable, Kantha stressed that it is "not normal" yet.He reiterated India's position that the "state of borders" determines the "state of relations", saying ties cannot become fully normal unless peace and tranquillity prevail along the frontier.- EndsPublished By: Priyanka KumariPublished On: Sep 10, 2026 18:51 IST