New Delhi/Beijing: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold their second informal summit October 11-12 in Tamil Nadu’s coastal town of Mamallapuram to chart broader pathways for development, notwithstanding ties coming under strain over the issue of Kashmir. However, China struck a highly positive note Wednesday and said the meeting will provide guidance for bilateral ties and devise a ‘shared role’ in regional affairs so that the dragon and the elephant can work together.
Two days ahead of Xi Jingping’s arrival in Chennai for the nearly 24-hour trip, government sources in New Delhi said there was no question of any discussion on the Kashmir issue as it is India’s sovereign matter but added that Narendra Modi will update the Chinese president on the matter if there is a query.
Sources said that political relations, trade and ways to maintain peace and tranquility along nearly 3,500km-long Sino-India border will be major focus areas in the talks.
Strategic affairs expert Ashok Kantha said the summit between Modi and Xi in an informal setting in the midst of evolving geo-political power play in the region and beyond shows that both the leaders are taking ownership of the complex relationship.
“The key aspect of the engagement will be how both the countries make incremental progress in addressing their differences and end the cycle of ups and downs in the ties,” Kantha told this agency.
The first informal summit between the two leaders took place in the Chinese city of Wuhan last year months after a 73-day stand-off between their armies in Doklam triggered fears of a war.
The perception that India’s decision around two months back to withdraw Jammu and Kashmir’s special status clouded preparations for the summit gained ground as both sides could announce the dates for Jingping’s visit only Wednesday, barely 50 hours before the Chinese leader lands in Chennai.
The External Affairs Ministry (MEA) and the Chinese Foreign Ministry made near simultaneous announcements on the visit.
“The forthcoming Chennai Informal Summit will provide an opportunity for the two leaders to continue their discussions on overarching issues of bilateral, regional and global importance and to exchange views on deepening India-China closer development partnership,” the MEA said in a statement.
Government sources in the Indian capital said Jingping is expected to arrive in Chennai early Friday afternoon. Narendra Modi will then take him to the famous world heritage site of Shore temple complex in Mamallapuram and both of them will have a meeting at the site.
Saturday, both leaders will have an one-on-one meeting followed by delegation-level talks. The Chinese president is expected to leave for Nepal from Chennai around 2,00pm on Saturday.
Jinping will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Wang Yi and a politbureau member of the Chinese Communist Party.
Meanwhile announcing Jinping’s visit for the summit, Chinese Vice- Foreign Minister Luo Zhaohui said that the two leaders will have in-depth discussion on global and regional affairs.
Luo, who till recently worked as China’s Ambassador to India, addressed a special media briefing in Beijing. Highlighting the importance attached by China to the jinping-Modi summit, Luo said, “During the Wuhan summit, there was strong personal chemistry between the two leaders. Without the personal commitment from the two leaders this kind of informal meeting is not possible.
“So, for them to sit together to have any in-depth discussion in Chennai and to discuss global and regional affairs so that the dragon and the elephant can work together, so that we can have deeper strategic communication that will help bilateral relations and practical cooperation between the two countries.
Luo said that officials of both sides have made meticulous preparations for the summit through close interactions.
“Now the solid ground has been laid. With the joint efforts of the two sides President Jinping’s visit to India will be a full success and set the tone and direction for further growth of bilateral ties and lead to new progress and fruitful results in exchange of cooperation between the two sides,” Luo asserted.
“The meeting will once again send a consistent message of China and India to the whole world and inject stability and positive energy to the world that is full of uncertainty, Luo added.
Agencies