Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday agreed to resolve differences between the two nations and increase co-operation, as they met for the first time since a deadly border standoff in 2020 that strained ties.
The leaders' meeting on the sidelines of the two-day Brics summit in Russia's Kazan is being seen as a major breakthrough in thawing relations between the nuclear-armed nations, which have fought a major war and seen endless confrontations along their long un-demarcated border known as Line of Actual Control.
The two countries on Monday said they had reached a deal to allow border patrolling operations in both countries to resume, completing a disengagement process along the disputed Himalayan borders.
At least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers died during the confrontation four years ago, which involved clubs and stones being used as weapons along the high-altitude disputed Himalayan border in the northern Ladakh region. The standoff escalated into a diplomatic and military showdown between the regional powers, with both sides moving thousands of soldiers to the region.
Mr Xi and Mr Modi last met when the Chinese leader visited India at the Prime Minister's invitation in 2019.
However, they exchanged pleasantries during the Group of 20 meeting in Bali, Indonesia in 2022 and in Johannesburg, South Africa a year later.
Wednesday's meeting lasted for about 15 minutes, and the two leaders spoke about strengthening bilateral ties, with Mr Modi highlighting that cordial relations between the two Asian neighbours will help bring regional and global peace and stability.
“We believe that India-China ties are not only significant for our people, but also for global peace, stability and progress,” Mr Modi said.
“We welcome the consensus on the border conflict. It should be our priority to maintain peace and stability on the border. Mutual trust, mutual respect and mutual sensitivity should be the basis of our relations."
Mr Xi reiterated enhancing co-operation with New Delhi to promote multi-polarisation and unity of developing countries as he said their historic meeting was being followed by citizens of both nations.
“It best serves the fundamental interests of our two countries and two peoples for both sides to keep to the trend of history and the right direction of our bilateral relations. It is important for both sides for more communication and properly handle our differences cooperation and disagreements, and to facilitate each other’s pursuit of development aspirations,” Mr Xi said.
“It is also important for both sides to shoulder our international responsibility, set an example for boosting the strength and unity of the developing countries, and to contribute to promoting multi-polarisation and democracy in international relations."
The Brics summit in Russia is one of the biggest gatherings of global leaders to be held amid the war in Gaza and the years-long conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Brics is an alliance the initially included five emerging economies – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The intergovernmental organisation admitted four new members, the UAE, Egypt, Ethiopia and Iran, after a decision to expand was made at the Brics summit in Johannesburg in August last year. Together the Brics countries now account for about 37.3 per cent of the world's GDP, according to the European Parliament, or more than double the EU's 14.5 per cent.
But the main highlight has been resolving the hostilities between India and China, which comprise nearly one-third of the world’s population and are major economic powerhouses.
The countries share a nearly 4,000km border known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC) that crosses the Himalayas from the Ladakh region in the north to the eastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh.
Both countries have been making territorial claims and counterclaims, including China’s claim on India’s northeastern Arunachal Pradesh state which Beijing says is part of China’s Tibet region.
However, the deadly events in 2020 have led to acrimony between the two countries, with military experts claiming that China had occupied vast portions of the demarcated frontier in the strategic Ladakh region.
Over the years senior military commanders and Foreign Ministry officials from both sides had held nearly 30 rounds of high-level talks but without significant progress, until Monday when India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri announced that India and China have arrived at a patrolling arrangement along the LAC.
He said that the arrangement can lead to disengagement and resolution of tension that began with clashes in May 2020.
The troops had completed disengagement from a key standoff point in the disputed Himalayan Eastern Ladakh region in 2022, but the Chinese forces still blocked access to traditional patrolling areas of Indian forces in the Depsang Plains and Charding Nala regions on the LAC.
Depsang Plains is a tabletop plateau located at an altitude of 4,800 metres.
The Chinese also erected tents on the Indian-administered side of Charding Nala in Demchok. Beijing has constantly refused to accept that the areas are part of Indian territory.
The biog
Favourite Emirati dish: Fish machboos
Favourite spice: Cumin
Family: mother, three sisters, three brothers and a two-year-old daughter
If you go:
Getting there:
Flying to Guyana requires first reaching New York with either Emirates or Etihad, then connecting with JetBlue or Caribbean Air at JFK airport. Prices start from around Dh7,000.
Getting around:
Wildlife Worldwide offers a range of Guyana itineraries, such as its small group tour, the 15-day ‘Ultimate Guyana Nature Experience’ which features Georgetown, the Iwokrama Rainforest (one of the world’s four remaining pristine tropical rainforests left in the world), the Amerindian village of Surama and the Rupununi Savannah, known for its giant anteaters and river otters; wildlifeworldwide.com
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Six tips to secure your smart home
Most smart home devices are controlled via the owner's smartphone. Therefore, if you are using public wi-fi on your phone, always use a VPN (virtual private network) that offers strong security features and anonymises your internet connection.
Keep your smart home devices’ software up-to-date. Device makers often send regular updates - follow them without fail as they could provide protection from a new security risk.
Use two-factor authentication so that in addition to a password, your identity is authenticated by a second sign-in step like a code sent to your mobile number.
Set up a separate guest network for acquaintances and visitors to ensure the privacy of your IoT devices’ network.
Change the default privacy and security settings of your IoT devices to take extra steps to secure yourself and your home.
Always give your router a unique name, replacing the one generated by the manufacturer, to ensure a hacker cannot ascertain its make or model number.
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
Essentials
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.
If you go
The flights Etihad (www.etihad.com) and Spice Jet (www.spicejet.com) fly direct from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Pune respectively from Dh1,000 return including taxes. Pune airport is 90 minutes away by road.
The hotels A stay at Atmantan Wellness Resort (www.atmantan.com) costs from Rs24,000 (Dh1,235) per night, including taxes, consultations, meals and a treatment package.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Liverpool's all-time goalscorers
Ian Rush 346
Roger Hunt 285
Mohamed Salah 250
Gordon Hodgson 241
Billy Liddell 228
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Copa del Rey final
Sevilla v Barcelona, Saturday, 11.30pm (UAE), match on Bein Sports
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
The biog
DOB: March 13, 1987
Place of birth: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia but lived in Virginia in the US and raised in Lebanon
School: ACS in Lebanon
University: BSA in Graphic Design at the American University of Beirut
MSA in Design Entrepreneurship at the School of Visual Arts in New York City
Nationality: Lebanese
Status: Single
Favourite thing to do: I really enjoy cycling, I was a participant in Cycling for Gaza for the second time this year
More on animal trafficking
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3ECompany%20name%3A%20Znap%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarted%3A%202017%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EFounder%3A%20Uday%20Rathod%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EBased%3A%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIndustry%3A%20FinTech%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EFunding%20size%3A%20%241m%2B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EInvestors%3A%20Family%2C%20friends%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The biog
Hobbies: Salsa dancing “It's in my blood” and listening to music in different languages
Favourite place to travel to: “Thailand, as it's gorgeous, food is delicious, their massages are to die for!”
Favourite food: “I'm a vegetarian, so I can't get enough of salad.”
Favourite film: “I love watching documentaries, and am fascinated by nature, animals, human anatomy. I love watching to learn!”
Best spot in the UAE: “I fell in love with Fujairah and anywhere outside the big cities, where I can get some peace and get a break from the busy lifestyle”
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
BRAZIL SQUAD
Alisson (Liverpool), Daniel Fuzato (Roma), Ederson (Man City); Alex Sandro (Juventus), Danilo (Juventus), Eder Militao (Real Madrid), Emerson (Real Betis), Felipe (Atletico Madrid), Marquinhos (PSG), Renan Lodi (Atletico Madrid), Thiago Silva (PSG); Arthur (Barcelona), Casemiro (Real Madrid), Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa), Fabinho (Liverpool), Lucas Paqueta (AC Milan), Philippe Coutinho (Bayern Munich); David Neres (Ajax), Gabriel Jesus (Man City), Richarlison (Everton), Roberto Firmino (Liverpool), Rodrygo (Real Madrid), Willian (Chelsea).
Scores
Day 2
New Zealand 153 & 56-1
Pakistan 227
New Zealand trail by 18 runs with nine wickets remaining
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
