(TibetanReview.net, Sep13’26) – As Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in New Delhi on Sep 12 afternoon and took part in the two-day BRICS summit in New Delhi, followed by bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi later in the evening, members of the Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC) from regional chapters around the country defied tight security measures to stage a protest rally late in the evening. More than 60 were held and detained at various police stations in the national capital.
The protest rally took off at around 9:45 pm from near the 18th BRICS Summit venue, the Bharat Mandapam, in the Pragati Maidan complex. Earlier in the evening, Modi hosted a gala dinner and cultural programme for the participants. Xi did not take part in the dinner for no known reasons, having returned to his hotel for rest.
According to the firstpost.com Sep 13, Modi made an unexpected pause during his opening remarks at the BRICS Summit after reportedly noticing Xi looking uncomfortable to ask the latter if “it is okay?” However, it said this could have been an issue with the mic or the translation. Xi went on to hold his bilateral with Modi, but did not attend the gala dinner which followed it.
An approximately 42-second footage posted online shows officers in khaki uniforms pursuing and holding several individuals, including people carrying flags and banners. Some protesters could also be seen being escorted through the area as police managed the gathering.
The sudden protest sent the security agencies into a tizzy as the national capital was already on high alert for the 18th BRICS Summit being attended by a galaxy of global leaders, reported etvbharat.com/en Sep 13.
The protesters, who were chanting slogans and carrying Tibetan flags and placards, were apprehended by police when they attempted to march towards Bharat Mandapam from ITO, the report said. ITO is located about 2 km away from Pragati Maidan.
Security was further tightened at Bharat Mandapam for the final day of the summit on Sep 13, with the Delhi Police issuing a public advisory in view of traffic being affected across the national capital due to VVIP movement. The police urged the public to use public transport and follow designated alternative routes to avoid inconvenience, the report said.
The TYC, which advocates for the restoration of Tibet’s independence, denounced Xi’s participation in the two-day summit and his presence in New Delhi. It is not clear yet whether the protesters will be charged.
Xi flew back to China in the afternoon today (Sep 13).
This was Xi’s first visit to India in around seven years. His presence at the BRICS Summit and meeting with Modi marked an important stage in the recent efforts by New Delhi and Beijing to stabilise ties, which had plummeted sharply after the mid-2020 Galwan Valley b order clashes in Ladakh.
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Discussions on trade, investment, the long-running border dispute, and the normalisation of ties took centre stage during the 45-minute Xi-Modi meeting, reported scmp.com Sep 12.
The report said Xi outlined a vague four-point plan for future China-India relations that was short on specifics, in keeping with many of Beijing’s foreign policy initiatives.
He has called on the two sides to align on “objective and rational” strategy; engage in “win-win” cooperation; overcome differences through “political wisdom” and mutual understanding; and collaborate to bolster the global good in part by working together in multilateral groupings.
“China and India are partners rather than rivals, and present opportunities for each other’s development rather than threats,” China’s official Xinhua news agency quoted Xi as saying.
Beijing further noted that India’s policy and stance regarding Taiwan and Tibet-related issues “remain unchanged”, adding that New Delhi “does not permit any forces to engage in anti-China activities on Indian soil”, reported the scmp.com report.
India is home to more than 70,000 Tibetan exiles, including the Dalai Lama.
Xi was joined by Cai Qi, his close aide and China’s fifth-ranking official, and Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Modi was joined by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, and India’s ambassador to China Vikram Doraiswami.
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New Delhi’s statement on the meeting said the two leaders “reaffirmed that both countries should take a strategic and long-term perspective of their ties”, and that “differences should not become disputes”.
Modi has said the relationship should be guided by three “mutuals”: mutual respect, mutual sensitivity, and mutual interest.
Notably, he has “emphasised that peace and tranquillity in the border areas remains an essential basis for the continued development of bilateral relations”, underlining “the need for both sides to observe existing agreements and understandings on border-related issues”.
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Differences between the Indian and Chinese readouts of the Modi-Xi meeting offer interesting clues about how Beijing and New Delhi view their bilateral relationship, noted openthemagazine.com Sep13.
It cited Jingyi Zhang, a UK-based China scholar and researcher at the Department of International Development at King’s College London, as pointing out that in the Chinese version, Modi says the following — which is missing in the Indian version:
“India has an independent foreign policy, and developing relations with China is not affected by any third party. India’s policy and position on issues relating to Taiwan and Tibet remain unchanged, and it will not allow any force to engage in anti-China activities on its territory.”
Jingyi has also pointed out: Further, the Indian press release notes, “On economic and trade relations, they underlined the need to address each other’s concerns, including structural trade imbalance and supply chain issues, and facilitation of meaningful and predictable market access.”
However, in the Chinese version, it’s not specific: “The two sides should also address each other’s economic and trade concerns in a balanced way and promote the sound and steady development of economic and trade relations.”