Modi and Xi seek to reset India-China ties on BRICS sidelines - aljazeera.com

**Modi and Xi Seek to Reset India‑China Ties on BRICS Sidelines**

New Delhi and Beijing used the high‑profile gathering of the BRICS bloc in Johannesburg as a platform to signal a tentative thaw in a relationship strained by a 2020 border clash, trade frictions and divergent strategic outlooks. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the summit, underscored “border tranquillity” as the cornerstone for any forward‑looking partnership, noting that a peaceful frontier is essential for both countries to explore deeper economic and technological cooperation. The meeting marked Modi’s first bilateral engagement with Xi on Indian soil since 2019, reflecting a mutual willingness to move beyond recent confrontations.

During the summit, President Xi used his address to the BRICS leaders to repudiate the “might‑makes‑right” logic that has often characterized great‑power competition, pledging instead to champion an “open‑ecosystem” approach to artificial intelligence and related technologies. He announced that China would take a leading role in fostering AI and tech collaboration among the five BRICS nations, positioning the bloc as a counter‑balance to Western standards and regulations. This overture aligns with India’s own push to become a hub for responsible AI development, creating a potential area of convergence despite lingering geopolitical mistrust.

Analysts view the dialogue as a pragmatic, if cautious, step toward stabilising a relationship that influences regional security and global supply chains. While both leaders spoke in optimistic terms, substantive progress will depend on concrete measures—such as disengagement of troops along the Line of Actual Control, resolution of trade barriers, and joint governance frameworks for emerging technologies. Observers note that the BRICS setting offered a multilateral backdrop that reduced bilateral pressure, allowing Modi and Xi to frame their discourse within broader themes of global governance, rather than solely bilateral grievances.