THOUGH there is every need to harbour a cautious optimism about the bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi and Chinese President Mr. Xi Jinping, some sections of the international community have begun reading much in the event that took place on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Russia. Some countries have become alert about a possible joint league formed by India, China and Russia and act like a diplomatic counter-weight to disturb many a power equation in the world.

 

Obviously, the meeting between Mr. Modi and Mr. Xi Jinping was not just a casual meeting between two leaders to sort out mutual issues, but is being looked at as a marker of something major to happen in the next sometime. And the reason for such a thought is the prowess and gravitas India and China have attained for themselves in global affairs. China has been one of the global superpowers for the past quarter of a century, all right, and that rise did not cause much disturbance in global corridors of power. But when India rose to its current eminence, international considerations changed altogether particularly in the Asian context. That is the reason why some global powers that be look at the India-China topmost level meeting as a critical development.

 

They apprehend that an India-China alliance -- may be only a limited one -- may affect global power balance and equation. Let alone these international calculations and calibrations, India by itself does not harbour any great optimism about what may happen in near or far future as regards China. The meeting between Mr. Modi and Mr. Xi Jinping had to be held under the given circumstances -- to facilitate a better and finer BRICS dialogue. Also, there needed a confirmation or endorsement of the border pact India and China concluded recently. And, there was a need to start talking with each other at the top level because multiple regional, global and mutual issues had to be put to scrutiny -- and start moving on. In the light of these and many more dimensions, there is actually no need to read too much in the Narendra Modi-Xi Jinping meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS summit at Kazan in Russia. The meeting, then, can be described as a welcome step forward. Despite such disclaimers -- stated or unstated -- the world will not stop indulging in speculations, some logically correct and some openly illogical. That is because of the recent developments in the international arena -- with focus on India and its growing influence.

 

The border talks that have resulted in allowance to restricted patrolling in some friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, thus, need to be seen from a limited perspective. The successful culmination of the negotiations and subsequent agreement involving patrolling by both countries is certainly a step forward. Yet, given the manner in which China has treated India -- with certain contempt, so to say -- the border agreement may be interpreted differently, stuffed with possibilities and potential to resolve larger issues as well. If the world looks at the Kazan meeting between Mr. Modi and Mr Xi Jinping, then there is some justification, all right, to the speculation. For, when two countries such as India and China come together for a top-level meeting after a gap of five years, the world must sit up and take notice. The eastern Ladakh agreement may help in sorting some more issues as well between India and China, mainly because Beijing appears to see a greater sense to have India on its side in the ensuing spell of geopolitics. For India, however, it is only a step forward loaded with cautious optimism.