Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held their first bilateral meeting on Wednesday, October 23, after a gap of five years. The meeting coincided with the BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) summit in Russia.

According to Chinese state media, President Xi Jinping told PM Modi that there is a need to strengthen communication and cooperation between the two countries.

“The two sides should strengthen communication and cooperation, properly handle divergences and differences, and realize each other’s development dreams,” President Xi Jinping said.

The meeting between the two leaders comes after a gap of five years. In October 2019, a structured meeting which was held during their second informal summit in Mamallapuram in Chennai.

In November 2022, Modi and Xi Jinping exchanged pleasantries and held a brief conversation at a dinner hosted by the Indonesian President for the G20 leaders.

In August last year too, President Xi Jinping and PM Modi held a brief and informal conversation in Johannesburg on the sidelines of the BRICS summit.