China skirts questions about Modi's BRICS Summit participation

China said today that preparations were in full swing for next month's BRICS Summit but skirted questions on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's participation in the meet amid the ongoing Doklam standoff.
"All the preparatory work for the Summit is advancing in an orderly way. We are almost ready," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told the media here when asked if Modi has confirmed his participation in the Summit amid concerns over the standoff between the armies of the two countries in the Doklam area of the Sikkim sector.
Last week, external affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar, during a briefing in New Delhi, also did not confirm whether Modi will travel to China next month to attend the Summit, saying he does not have any information about it.

The Summit of the five emerging countries -- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) -- will be held in the coastal city of Xiamen from September 3 to September 5.
"We believe with the concerted efforts of various parties, the Summit will achieve success, scaling up the cooperation to new heights for the BRICS countries," Hua said.
Without making any direct reference to Modi's participation, Hua reiterated China's stand that the Indian border troops should be unconditionally withdrawn from Doklam which is a prerequisite for the settlement of the issue.