Investments, border to figure in Narendra Modi's first meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping

NEW DELHI: When PM Narendra Modi meets Chinese President Xi Jinping in Brazil on the sidelines on the BRICS Summit next week, he would focus on the recent transgressions by the People’s Liberation Army in Ladakh and Chinese projects in PoK even as he seeks investments.

In his first meeting with Jinping, Modi will seek to balance between the strategic differences and economic engagement with the northern neighbour, government officials indicated to ET.

China that was among the few countries that rolled out a red carpet for Modi when he was the Gujarat CM has been wooing him since his poll victory on May 16. Foreign Minister Wang Yi was the second foreign minister that Sushma Swaraj received and Vice President Hamid Ansari was in Beijing last week to attend the 60 years of the signing of Panscheel Agreement.

It may be recalled that China has made huge investments in Gujarat. The state is among five Indian states that are on China’s priority list for investments.

Modi had visited Beijing as Gujarat CM a few times and had expressed his willingness to do business with it.

Besides Xi, Modi will also meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Brazil – the first meeting between the two leaders. He will also meet South African President Jacob Zuma and host Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff. Plans are afoot for meetings with other South American leaders who are travelling to Brazil.