Modi, Xi, Putin to meet in Osaka to add muscle to RIC

Chinese assistant foreign minister Zhang Jun said Xi Jinping will have a sit-down with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the meet scheduled for 28-29 June. 

This will be the second trilateral meeting of the leaders after the three recently met at Bishkek at the Shanghai Cooperation Organsiation (SCO) summit, which was described as of “great significance.”

The three leaders will meet again in September in Vladivostok for the Eastern Economic Forum where Modi will be the chief guest.

Zhang Jun also signalled that the trilateral mechanism of Russia, India, and China (RIC) had now become institutionalised.

“Indeed, during the Osaka summit, the leaders of China, Russia and India will have a trilateral meeting. The mechanism of the China, India, Russia trilateral meeting has maintained a sound momentum of development,” Zhang observed.

“Last year during the Buenos Aires G20 summit, the three leaders also had a meeting. And this time, given the current international landscape, their meeting is also of great significance,” he said, when asked to comment on the geopolitical and geo-economic significance of the trilateral summit.

Without naming the US, the Chinese diplomat stressed that ahead of the summit, the “international community has fully recognised the repercussions of unilateralism, protectionism and bullying practices”.

Apart from fighting unilateralism, the trilateral meeting will add weight to the Eurasia concept and will have a positive impact on bilateral relations, Zhang said.

“As you know, China’s relations with India and Russia are showing a sound momentum of growth, and the leaders of the three countries have also maintained close exchanges. At the recently concluded SCO summit and the CICA summit, and also other meetings taking place of the leaders of the three countries...it is important for the three countries to strengthen coordination of major global issues and jointly uphold multilateralism, oppose protectionism and deepen cooperation on multilateral and international affairs to make important contribution to global peace,” he noted and asserted that the Osaka trilateral could also strengthen ties “at the bilateral level,” and “will produce positive outcomes”.

China would also provide leadership to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), which has continued to “grey list” Pakistan, because Islamabad had been found wanting in curbing terror financing. 

However, China, which was about to chair the FATF, would conduct “a strategic review” of the organisation and adopt a “clear responsive strategy,” a Chinese official said.

Chinese officials also said Beijing would back a revamp of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and seek reform of the global financial system, under the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Zhang also wanted Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) countries to play “a bigger role in upholding multilateralism, an open and non-discriminatory trading system, building an opening economy and (contributing to) world economic governance.”