
HAMBURG: Amid worsening relations between the two Asian giants triggered by a protracted border standoff, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and China’s President Xi Jinping discussed “a range of issues” to defuse tensions that could spin out of control, if not managed with tact.
The leaders of the two countries shook hands warmly and smiled on the sidelines of the meeting of BRICS countries in Hamburg, which belied an increasingly hostile atmosphere that has enveloped bilateral ties.
Reliable sources said the conversation lasted for nearly four minutes.
Ahead of the G20 summit, China ruled out a bilateral meeting between Mr Modi and Mr Xi, saying the atmosphere is not ripe and conducive for the leaders’ meeting.
Author Profile

- Manish Chand is Founder and Editor-in-Chief of India Writes Network (www.indiawrites.org) and India and World, a pioneering magazine focused on international affairs. He is CEO, Centre for Global India Insights, an India-based think tank focused on global affairs.
Latest entries
In ConversationApril 30, 2026US-Iran War “Why is there so much angst in India over Pakistan’s role as mediator?”
India and the WorldApril 30, 2026From chips to ships, transforming India–South Korea ties
India and the WorldApril 30, 2026Trade Under Fire: How Geopolitics is Recasting India–US Economic Compact
India and the WorldApril 15, 2026Expanding the canvas: India’s ambassador on art, new momentum in India-Spain ties




