Modi and Xi Meet at SCO Summit in Bishkek, Hinting at Easing of Tensions

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met and shook hands on the sidelines of the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The brief interaction is being seen as a potential thaw in the otherwise strained relationship between the two neighbouring countries.

The meeting comes at a time when both nations are working to manage their differences along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). It also precedes the upcoming BRICS Summit scheduled to be held in New Delhi, making the diplomatic engagement particularly significant.

This interaction follows a series of recent diplomatic exchanges. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval had earlier held boundary talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and senior official Han Zheng in Beijing. Those discussions were part of ongoing efforts to resolve the military standoff and restore peace along the border.

While the leaders' conversation in Bishkek was brief, its symbolism is notable. It suggests a willingness on both sides to maintain a channel of communication at the highest level, even as ground-level negotiations on troop disengagement continue.

The SCO Summit itself provided a multilateral platform for the two leaders to be in the same space, and their handshake has been interpreted by observers as a positive, if cautious, step forward in bilateral ties.