Shortly after China claimed a meeting between its President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G20 Summit was unlikely as Indian troops "had damaged the political foundations of bilateral relations", India responded by saying no such meeting in Hamburg was planned in the first place.

Highly-placed sources in the Modi government have told India Today that New Delhi had not made any request for a bilateral meeting between Modi and Jinping. Sources added that neither side had made any formal request for a bilateral meeting, and therefore there is no question of a meeting being cancelled.

In response to a query regarding Prime Minister's schedule in Hamburg, an official spokesperson said Modi is visiting Hamburg from July 6-8 for the G20 Summit. His pre-planned bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit are with Argentina, Canada, Italy, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, United Kingdom, and Vietnam.

In addition, he will also participate in the BRICS leaders' meeting. "There is no change in the Prime Minister's schedule," he said.

There were reports from Beijing this morning that China had called off a scheduled bilateral meeting between India and China on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg.

WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR: China had earlier claimed that a meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G20 Summit was unlikely as Indian troops "had damaged the political foundations of bilateral relations between China and India". A standoff on Doklam plateau next to Sikkim has ratcheted up tension between the neighbouring giants, who share a 3,500 km border. Informed sources said the "atmosphere is not right" for the meeting between the two leaders because of the current stand-off between Indian and Chinese troops in the Sikkim sector. Beijing has said that the unconditional withdrawal of Indian troops from Doklam remained a precondition for any meaningful dialogue. "As for the arrangement of the bilateral meeting (at G20) between President Xi and Prime Minister Modi, I have to point out that recently Indian troops trespassed into China and obstructed normal activities of Chinese troops in the Doklam region," said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang. "This endangers China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and damaged the political foundations of bilateral relations between China and India," Geng said. "We hope India can immediately withdraw border troops to the Indian side of the boundary," he added. "I think this is the pre-condition for any meaningful peace talks between the two sides." China has said it was absurd for India to use the excuse of Chinese road-building to cross over their border, and accused India of militarising its side of the frontier. According to the Chinese interpretation of events, Indian guards crossed into China's Donglang region early in June and obstructed work on a road on the plateau. Troops from the two sides then confronted each other close to a valley controlled by China that separates India from Bhutan - a close Indian ally - and gives China access to the so-called Chicken's Neck, a thin strip of land connecting the Indian mainland to its northeastern regions. India has said it had warned China that construction of the road near their common border would have serious security implications.

Also read: Doklam standoff: Chinese media says Beijing should back Sikkim independence

Also read: China hints Modi-Xi meet at G20 unlikely as 'political foundations damaged'

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE