FACT CHECK: Did Xi Jinping Snub Indian PM Modi’s Handshake Attempt?
Xi avoided infamous Hand shake of Modi ji, seems he is aware of after effects 💀
— Veena Jain (@DrJain21) October 23, 2024
Verdict: False
This footage has been edited. The two leaders shook hands moments after.
Fact Check:
Xi Jinping has been the sitting president of the People’s Republic of China since 2012, and he has had a contentious relationship with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his tenure. The two countries have been at odds in recent times, mainly due to a dispute over the Himalayan border that turned deadly in 2020. They met at the 2024 BRICS summit, the first formal meeting between Chinese and Indian leadership since 2019.
A video being shared on X with over 1.5 million views purports to show the initial greeting between the two leaders, with Jinping seemingly avoiding the handshake attempt made by PM Modi. It claims that Jinping deliberately avoided the gesture, and shows a similar video of Modi with former German Chancellor Angela Merkel having the same thing happen.
However, this clip is misleading, as it was clipped and doesn’t show the full interaction. President Jinping did not avoid a handshake with the Indian Prime Minister, as he was directing him to another area off screen. The two were seen shaking hands moments after.
The official BRICS News account on X posted a video shows the moment where the two leaders came together.
JUST IN: 🇨🇳🇮🇳 Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Modi hold a bilateral meeting at BRICS Summit, the first in five years.
This follows a historic agreement between the two countries to end their border crisis. pic.twitter.com/JXBvr5XZSc
— BRICS News (@BRICSinfo) October 23, 2024
A second video has also been posted on X, which shows full initial interaction.
How embarrassing is it that, even after so many differences and boycotting China and Chinese apps, Modi ji is eager to shake hands, while Xi Jinping initially didn’t even care? pic.twitter.com/gAvrafWhUB
— Paurush Sharma (@paurushsh) October 24, 2024
A community note has been placed on the misleading video, directing users to the full clip.
