Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the second India-China “informal summit” would usher in “a new era” in ties that had seen “increased stability and fresh momentum” after the first summit between him and President Xi Jinping in Wuhan last year.
Initiating the delegation-level talks at a private beach resort in Kovalam, 30 km from Chennai, Mr. Modi said, referring to the Wuhan summit, “We had decided that we would prudently manage our differences and not let them become disputes, be sensitive to each other’s concerns, and be a reason for peace and stability in the world.”
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Mr. Modi said, referring to the Wuhan summit, “We had decided that we would prudently manage our differences and not let them become disputes, be sensitive to each other’s concerns, and be a reason for peace and stability in the world.”
‘New momentum’
Talking of the many opportunities to enhance ties, he said, “The Wuhan spirit has given our relations new momentum and trust. Today, our Chennai Connect will begin a new age in relations between our countries.”
At the beginning, Mr. Modi spoke a few words in Tamil to welcome the visiting dignitary.
In his response, Mr. Xi recalled that the initiative for the informal summit came from Mr. Modi and he had agreed to the proposal. The Wuhan summit had led to “healthy and steady development” in the ties. The two countries had “deepened strategic communication”, apart from having “closer cooperation” at multilateral forums.
During talks, India and China agreed to set up a high-level economic and trade dialogue mechanism. It would include Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and China’s Vice-Premier Hu Chunhua, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said.
Asked about China’s support for Pakistan in the Kashmir issue, Mr. Gokhale said the issue was not discussed. He added that the relationship was “not predicated on a single issue”. However, Mr. Xi did brief Mr. Modi about Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visit this week to Beijing, where Kashmir had prominently featured in their statements.
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( With inputs from Suhasini Haidar in New Delhi )
