PM Modi Checks On Xi Jinping At BRICS Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi briefly stopped his address at the BRICS Summit in New Delhi to check on Chinese President Xi Jinping after noticing something was amiss.

Modi paused midway through his speech on Saturday and turned towards Xi, who was visiting India for the first time in seven years to attend the summit. He asked the translator accompanying the Chinese President, 'Is it okay?' and repeated the question moments later.

It was not immediately clear what had caused Xi's apparent discomfort. After a few seconds, Xi nodded in response and Modi resumed his address.

Modi and Xi held bilateral talks in New Delhi on September 12 on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit. The meeting lasted more than 50 minutes and covered India-China relations, peace along the border, trade, market access, and people-to-people exchanges.

Modi stressed that peace and stability along the India-China border were essential for the broader bilateral relationship. He referred to the principles of 'mutual respect, mutual sensitivity, and mutual interest' in discussing ties between the two countries.

Both sides agreed that differences should not turn into disputes and reiterated the need to work towards a fair and mutually acceptable resolution of the boundary question. Xi described India and China as partners rather than rivals and called for a long-term approach to bilateral relations and cooperation.

Xi did not attend the gala dinner hosted by Modi for BRICS leaders on Saturday, reportedly returning to his hotel to rest. His visit to India for the summit was his first in seven years.

The second and final day of the BRICS Summit began at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, with Modi receiving the visiting leaders before they posed for the customary family photograph. Modi said India's BRICS presidency focused on four pillars: resilience, innovation, cooperation, and sustainability.

He warned that rising global tensions were increasingly affecting ordinary people, citing pandemics, climate-related disasters, and supply-chain disruptions. Modi stressed that crises in an interconnected world do not remain confined to one region.

Modi announced that BRICS countries had reached a consensus on a BRICS Integrated Early Warning System to improve preparedness and response to infectious diseases. The grouping had also formulated Early Warning Data Integration Guidelines for disaster management.

The initiatives seek to strengthen coordination among BRICS members and enable countries to respond more quickly to emerging risks.

The brief pause in Modi's speech to check on Xi Jinping highlights the importance of diplomacy and mutual respect in international relations. The meeting between the two leaders and the discussions at the BRICS Summit demonstrate the efforts to strengthen cooperation and address global challenges.

The outcome of the BRICS Summit and the bilateral talks between Modi and Xi will have significant implications for India-China relations and global cooperation. The focus on resilience, innovation, cooperation, and sustainability will be crucial in addressing the rising global tensions and challenges faced by ordinary people.