BRICS Summit kicks off: Xi, Modi display bonhomie ahead of restricted meet

The Brics Summit began here on Monday with a group photograph of leaders of the five countries and was preceded by a warm handshake between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, who received the leaders of Brazil, Russia, and South Africa ahead of the restricted meeting of the grouping.

Modi was the third leader to reach the convention centre, which is the venue of the 9th BRICS Summit in this Chinese port city, followed by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Modi is also scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Xi on Tuesday.

The Summit will be the first gathering when the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa will meet after New Delhi and Beijing decided on "expeditious disengagement" of their border troops in the disputed Dokalam area on August 28 after more than a two month-long standoff between them.

Apart from the restricted meeting, the leaders will participate in the plenary during which they will explore ways to enhance cooperation within the members of the grouping in key areas. They will also deliberate on international issues of significance, including global economy and challenges

The three-day BRICS summit is set to begin on Sunday in China's southwestern city of Xiamen where India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping are likely to meet on the sidelines.

Although economic, security and other multilateral issues will figure in the annual meet of the five-member grouping, a probable one-on-one between Modi and Xi will be a focal point, especially after the protracted military standoff along the Sino-India border in Doklam.

"Since the (Doklam) dispute has been resolved, the Xiamen meeting (bilateral meet between Modi and Xi) will be a turning point," Wang Dehua, an expert at one of China's top think tanks the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told IANS.

Wang, who was one of the Chinese experts threatening India with war during the standoff at Doklam, said: "there was no reason for India and China to be hostile to each other".

"I always advocate 'Chindia' which is integration of China and India. I think it is a turning point. If we work together, the world will listen to us," Wang said.