PM Modi meets Myanmar military chief Min Aung Hlaing
What's the story
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Myanmar's Senior General and Acting President, Min Aung Hlaing, in Tianjin on Sunday. The meeting took place ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit. This was their first meeting since April, when they last spoke at the BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok, Thailand. Notably, Myanmar's military government has announced long-overdue elections on December 28.
Election announcement
Myanmar to hold elections on December 28
These will be the first elections in nearly five years after a coup in 2021 ousted an elected civilian government led by Nobel laureate and daughter of the late Aung San, Aung San Suu Kyi. Aung San was a revolutionary and the former Prime Minister of British Burma, who was assassinated six months before the country's independence.
Bilateral discussions
Modi meets Chinese Communist Party leader Cai Qi
Besides Hlaing, PM Modi also met the Chinese Communist Party's top leader, Cai Qi, in Tianjin. The meeting focused on strengthening bilateral economic, political, and people-to-people exchanges between India and China. Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal, shared details of the meeting on the social media site X (formerly Twitter).
Border discussions
India-China border issue
During his meeting with Cai Qi, PM Modi stressed the need for peace and tranquility along the India-China border. He said this is key to the continued development of bilateral relations. The two leaders expressed satisfaction over successful disengagement efforts last year and ongoing peace along their borders, according to a statement by India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
Boundary resolution
Commitment to resolve boundary issues
PM Modi and Cai reiterated their commitment to a fair and mutually acceptable resolution of boundary issues. They acknowledged important decisions taken by Special Representatives earlier this month and agreed to support further efforts. Both India and China welcomed a stable relationship and cooperation between India and China and their 2.8 billion peoples, on the basis of mutual respect, mutual interest, and mutual sensitivity are necessary for the growth and development of the two countries.
Summit details
About SCO summit
The SCO summit will begin at the Meijiang Convention and Exhibition Centre in Tianjin. The summit includes member countries such as China, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, along with dialogue partners and observers. India has been an SCO member since 2017 after being an observer since 2005.