China indicates Xi will meet Modi on sidelines of BRICS

China today indicated that there will be a meeting between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of on-going BRICS summit at Xiamen, but declined to say whether the Dokalam issue will figure in their talks.

"I believe my colleagues have said from this podium that as a host China will arrange meetings with participating leaders," Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang told the media here, replying to a question about a possible Modi-Xi meeting.

Geng did not specify when the meeting would be held.

Prime Minister Modi is in Xiamen to attend the annual summit of BRICS - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - a grouping of the five emerging economies.

The summit attended by Modi along with leaders of the five countries is due to end tomorrow.

Geng evaded a direct answer to a question whether the recent bilateral tensions over Dokalam standoff would figure in the talks between the two leaders.

"Details of the meeting we will release in due course," he said.

The summit comes days after India and China last month ended a 73-day standoff in Dokalam by withdrawing troops from the area. The two sides were locked in a face-off after Indian troops stopped the Chinese People's Liberation Army from building a road in the area.