Terror camps, terror launch pads and terror infrastructure continue to exist in Pakistan, the new Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane told WION on Tuesday. Speaking to WION's correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Naravane also said that after the 2018 Wuhan informal summit, India and China forces have developed greater understanding.

Terror camps, terror launch pads and terror infrastructure continue to exist in Pakistan, the new Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane told WION on Tuesday. Speaking to WION's correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Naravane also said that after the 2018 Wuhan informal summit, India and China forces have developed greater understanding. WION: What will be your key priorities as the new Army Chief? Army Chief: Happy new year and thanks for having me here. After taking over as Army Chief, my priority is to ensure the operational preparedness of the Army and make sure that we are never found wanting and we are able to meet any threat as and when it arises. WION: We saw the Wuhan informal summit after the Dokalm. How do you see the situation evolving on India-China border now? Army Chief: After the Wuhan summit, certain strategic guidelines were formulated and these have been decimated to the armies on both sides. As a result, there has been greater understanding and bonhomie at the ground level. We have regular border personnel meetings. This kind of interaction has gone a long way in dispelling misperceptions and fostering greater understanding among ourselves. WION: Hopefully, there won't be another Doklam, one can rest assured? Army Chief: That is one hopes for. WION: How big is the issue of cross border terrorism emanating from Pakistan? Army Chief: This problem of terrorism is not something new. We have been tackling this for many years now, we have very strong counter-terrorist and counter-infiltration bid to deal with this situation. But, the fact remains that terror camps, terror launch pads and terror infrastructure continue to be where it used to be. We are keeping a close eye on this to make sure nothing untoward takes place on our side. WION: If another Pulwama happens, can we see the Indian Army doing another surgical strike? Army Chief: You see, every response is dynamic in nature and what response will be in the future it will be not correct to speculate it right now. What the response will be, what dimension it will be, that will remain to be seen as and when it happens. WION: Pakistan Foreign Minister said, India is removing fences; any reaction? Army Chief: I think, reports that say certain fencing has been removed or some troops have been positioned or stationed, those were just false propaganda on his part to raise the level and divert the attention of his own countrymen from the situation that is prevailing in his own country. There is nothing, that sort from our side. WION: What has been the situation on the ground post removal of Article 370 for the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir? Army Chief: Post abrogation of Article 370, there has been a definitive improvement in the situation on the ground. I say this based on facts and figures of various indices. The incident of violence, be it stone-pelting, terrorist-related violence, all have seen a sharp decline. There is a great improvement in law and order situation and hope it augers well for J&K. WION: Has there been a reduction in infiltration level from across the LoC? Army Chief: As I mentioned little while earlier, terror camps and infrastructure remain intact on the other side of the Line of Control and we are keeping a close eye on that. Attempts at infiltration continue to be made and we have been successful in foiling these attempts and this high level of alertness and preparedness on our side will continue. We will not let our guard down. WION: How do you see women's role in the Army? Army Chief: We have been inducting women in the armed forces. As you know, earlier, women were only in the Army Medical Corps and gradually we opened it up for the services, that is the Army service corp. Then we broadened the avenues like the supporting arms such as the engineers. There is a continues transition that is taking place.

Terror camps continue to 'exist in Pakistan': Army Chief MM Naravane to WION

Charting The Evolution Of India-China Bilateral Ties Since The Wuhan Summit.

Gravitas: Is The Spirit Of Wuhan Summit Still In Tact?

With heavy security, a freshly painted wall and banana tree-lined roads, the tourist town of Mamallapuram, Chennai suburb is all set to host Asia's two important leaders -- Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping for the second informal summit.

With heavy security, a freshly painted wall and banana tree-lined roads, the tourist town of Mamallapuram, Chennai suburb is all set to host Asia's two important leaders -- Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping for the second informal summit. The first summit took place in Wuhan, China and the focus of this year's summit will be too keep the momentum generated from the last year's summit. Friday afternoon around 2pm local time President Xi will be reaching Chennai and by 5pm, Modi will give him a guided tour of three important UNESCO world heritage sites -- Arjuna’s Penance, Panch Rathas and Shore Temple. Chinese President will be driving down to the suburb from Chennai and will be joined PM Modi. The fact that Mamallapuram hosts world heritage sites coupled with its coastal links with China dating back to sixth century Pallava dynasty played a key role in it hosting the summit. Both leaders will see cultural performances at the Shore temple followed by a dinner in the evening. On Saturday, both will meet again and after the lunch, President Xi leaves for Nepal, the first visit by Chinese President in decades. Since its an informal summit, no joint statement is expected but both sides will issue separate statements in a coordinated manner. The trade deficit stands at 57.86 billion dollars and while greater market access has been given to Indian agriculture products like rapeseed, fishmeal, tobacco leaves, chilli meal, India is hoping it is translated into volumes. On border dispute, both sides are expected to start work on new confidence-building measures that could be announced later this year. One of the key outcomes of the Wuhan informal summit that happened in the backdrop of 2017 Doklam crisis, was strategic guidance being given by both leaders to there armies to resolve any issue at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in a sensible manner.

Mamallapuram decked up for second India-China Informal Summit

Chinese President Xi Jinping is likely to visit the historic city of Mahabalipuram in Chennai for his second informal summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi next week.

India is yet to formally announce the dates of the meeting.

Meanwhile, according to reports, China will host Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on October 8, which comes ahead of the summit between Modi and Jinping.

This will be Khan's third visit to China after assuming office.

From early this year, India and China were in touch for the second informal summit between Modi and Xi.

In August, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had also visited China to prepare the ground for the second informal summit between the two leaders.

Modi and Xi had met last year in Wuhan, China, for an informal summit in order to deepen bilateral cooperation.

That meeting came following the 73-day standoff in Bhutan's Doklam plateau in 2017, which strained bilateral ties between the two countries.

At Wuhan, Modi had expressed hope that such informal summits would become a tradition between the two countries. 
&nbsp;

Chinese President Xi Jinping is likely to visit the historic city of Mahabalipuram in Chennai for his second informal summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi next week.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is likely to visit the historic city of Mahabalipuram in Chennai for his second informal summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi next week. India is yet to formally announce the dates of the meeting. Meanwhile, according to reports, China will host Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on October 8, which comes ahead of the summit between Modi and Jinping. This will be Khan's third visit to China after assuming office. From early this year, India and China were in touch for the second informal summit between Modi and Xi. In August, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had also visited China to prepare the ground for the second informal summit between the two leaders. Modi and Xi had met last year in Wuhan, China, for an informal summit in order to deepen bilateral cooperation. That meeting came following the 73-day standoff in Bhutan's Doklam plateau in 2017, which strained bilateral ties between the two countries. At Wuhan, Modi had expressed hope that such informal summits would become a tradition between the two countries.

Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit Chennai for second informal summit with PM Modi

China said Friday it was bracing to hold a Wuhan-style next summit with India this year despite India's reported decision to boycott Beijing's prestigious 2nd <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-to-emphasise-on-high-quality-development-at-second-belt-and-road-forum-foreign-minister-wang-yi-201950">Belt and Road Forum </a>to be held here next week to protest its sovereignty concerns over the $60 billion <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-denies-cpec-intensified-pakistans-economic-risks-208789">China-Pakistan Economic Corridor</a>.&nbsp;

Addressing a media conference here ahead of the Belt and Road Forum (BRF) being held from April 25-27 to showcase China's trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made an impassioned appeal to India to shed its opposition to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as it no way "undermined" basic position on the Kashmir dispute.

Wang said so far 37 heads of state and governments had confirmed their participation in the BRF. Representatives from over 150 countries and 90 international organisations' close to 5000 participants have confirmed their participation. Leaders of Pakistan and Nepal are among the countries from the neighbourhood who would take part in the BRF meeting being held here from April 25-27.

India has already signalled to boycott the BRF as it did in 2017 to highlight its objections over the CPEC. The CPEC which has been officially designated as a flagship project of the BRI has become a stumbling block for India to take part in it as the controversial project is being laid through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

India has already protested to China over the CPEC violating its sovereignty and boycotted the first BRF held in 2017. Indian Ambassador to China Vikram Misri told Chinese state-run Global Times last month that "above all, connectivity initiatives must be pursued in a manner that respects the sovereignty, equality and territorial integrity of nations. No country can participate in an initiative that ignores its core concerns on sovereignty and territorial integrity".

Answering a question whether India's reported decision to boycott the BRF would undermine the new momentum generated by last year's informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Wang said the two leaders had a very successful meeting at Wuhan. "Particularly they have established mutual trust between the leadership and they jointly planned for the future of improvement and strengthening of China-India relations.

"After the Wuhan summit, we see all areas or progress between the two countries and we have the bright prospect for this relationship. We are now preparing for the next summit of our leaders," he said without specifying any timeline. Xi plans to visit India for the 2nd such summit after the general elections, currently underway, are over.

Wang said China and India were two major countries, besides being neighbours. "It is natural for us to have differences. This is only natural. I remember Prime Minister Modi mentioned many times that we cannot escalate our differences into disputes. Indian side wants to put our difference at the proper level and it would not for it to interfere in the development of our relations," he said.

"I believe this is in the fundamental interest of the people of the two countries and that is what China is happy to see," he said. "One of our differences is how to look at the BRI. The Indian side has its concerns. We understand that and that is why we have stated clearly on many occasions that the BRI including the CPEC is only an economic initiative and it does not target any third country and has nothing to do with the sovereign and territorial disputes left from history between any two countries," he said.

The BRI is a multi-billion-dollar initiative launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping when he came to power in 2013. It aims to link Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Gulf region, Africa and Europe with a network of land and sea routes. "India has its basic position on these disputes. Our cooperation will not undermine any party's position on those issues," Wang said, apparently suggesting that it would not alter even Pakistan's position on the disputed status of the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

China for its part has been maintaining that Kashmir dispute is left over from history and it should be resolved between India and Pakistan. "Now we are trying to achieve common prosperity through the cooperation under the BRI. Those issues left over from history must be separated from our efforts in this area.

"I think such cooperation will not undermine your basic position on sovereignty and territorial integrity and at the same time provide you with more opportunities of development and help India in your modernisation endeavour. I believe this is a good option and good choice for India," Wang said.

China said Friday it was bracing to hold a Wuhan-style next summit with India this year despite India's reported decision to boycott Beijing's prestigious 2nd Belt and Road Forum to be held here next week to protest its sovereignty concerns over the $60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

China said Friday it was bracing to hold a Wuhan-style next summit with India this year despite India's reported decision to boycott Beijing's prestigious 2nd Belt and Road Forum to be held here next week to protest its sovereignty concerns over the $60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Addressing a media conference here ahead of the Belt and Road Forum (BRF) being held from April 25-27 to showcase China's trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made an impassioned appeal to India to shed its opposition to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as it no way "undermined" basic position on the Kashmir dispute. Wang said so far 37 heads of state and governments had confirmed their participation in the BRF. Representatives from over 150 countries and 90 international organisations' close to 5000 participants have confirmed their participation. Leaders of Pakistan and Nepal are among the countries from the neighbourhood who would take part in the BRF meeting being held here from April 25-27. India has already signalled to boycott the BRF as it did in 2017 to highlight its objections over the CPEC. The CPEC which has been officially designated as a flagship project of the BRI has become a stumbling block for India to take part in it as the controversial project is being laid through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. India has already protested to China over the CPEC violating its sovereignty and boycotted the first BRF held in 2017. Indian Ambassador to China Vikram Misri told Chinese state-run Global Times last month that "above all, connectivity initiatives must be pursued in a manner that respects the sovereignty, equality and territorial integrity of nations. No country can participate in an initiative that ignores its core concerns on sovereignty and territorial integrity". Answering a question whether India's reported decision to boycott the BRF would undermine the new momentum generated by last year's informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Wang said the two leaders had a very successful meeting at Wuhan. "Particularly they have established mutual trust between the leadership and they jointly planned for the future of improvement and strengthening of China-India relations. "After the Wuhan summit, we see all areas or progress between the two countries and we have the bright prospect for this relationship. We are now preparing for the next summit of our leaders," he said without specifying any timeline. Xi plans to visit India for the 2nd such summit after the general elections, currently underway, are over. Wang said China and India were two major countries, besides being neighbours. "It is natural for us to have differences. This is only natural. I remember Prime Minister Modi mentioned many times that we cannot escalate our differences into disputes. Indian side wants to put our difference at the proper level and it would not for it to interfere in the development of our relations," he said. "I believe this is in the fundamental interest of the people of the two countries and that is what China is happy to see," he said. "One of our differences is how to look at the BRI. The Indian side has its concerns. We understand that and that is why we have stated clearly on many occasions that the BRI including the CPEC is only an economic initiative and it does not target any third country and has nothing to do with the sovereign and territorial disputes left from history between any two countries," he said. The BRI is a multi-billion-dollar initiative launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping when he came to power in 2013. It aims to link Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Gulf region, Africa and Europe with a network of land and sea routes. "India has its basic position on these disputes. Our cooperation will not undermine any party's position on those issues," Wang said, apparently suggesting that it would not alter even Pakistan's position on the disputed status of the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). China for its part has been maintaining that Kashmir dispute is left over from history and it should be resolved between India and Pakistan. "Now we are trying to achieve common prosperity through the cooperation under the BRI. Those issues left over from history must be separated from our efforts in this area. "I think such cooperation will not undermine your basic position on sovereignty and territorial integrity and at the same time provide you with more opportunities of development and help India in your modernisation endeavour. I believe this is a good option and good choice for India," Wang said.

China gears up for Wuhan-style summit with India despite India's planned boycott of Belt and Road Forum: Chinese FM

China on Friday said "practical" cooperation <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-engaging-with-china-on-nsg-membership-terror-emanating-from-pakistan-188071">with India is on a fast track</a> since the last year's Wuhan summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping and expressed readiness to work with New Delhi to uphold the rights of the two countries at a time of global uncertainty.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang during a media briefing here said the informal summit between President Xi and Prime Minister Modi in Wuhan has opened up new prospects for the bilateral ties.

"You can see that under the strategic guidance of the two leaders, China-India relations have shown a sound momentum of improvement with frequent high-level exchanges in all areas and practical cooperation has entered a fast track," Lu said responding to a question on Sino-India ties.

He said: "sound and steady China-India relations serve the interests of the two countries and people and contribute to world peace and development."

"Now the world is facing uncertainties and destabilising factors and in such background, China is willing to work with India to enhance coordination and communication in international affairs and jointly uphold legitimate rights and interests of our two countries and developing countries," he said.

He said the two countries cannot let differences become disputes and have been making efforts to use bilateral dialogue mechanism to conduct mutual and beneficial cooperation in all areas.

Last month, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi had held extensive talks in New Delhi under a newly set up framework and agreed on "ten pillars" of cooperation to enhance cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

The setting up of the 'High Level Mechanism on Cultural and People-to-People Exchanges' was decided upon during the Wuhan summit.

Since the resolution of the Doklam face-off in 2017, the two countries have taken a series of measures to enhance overall ties.&nbsp;

China on Friday said "practical" cooperation with India is on a fast track since the last year's Wuhan summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping and expressed readiness to work with New Delhi to uphold the rights of the two countries at a time of global uncertainty.

China on Friday said "practical" cooperation with India is on a fast track since the last year's Wuhan summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping and expressed readiness to work with New Delhi to uphold the rights of the two countries at a time of global uncertainty. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang during a media briefing here said the informal summit between President Xi and Prime Minister Modi in Wuhan has opened up new prospects for the bilateral ties. "You can see that under the strategic guidance of the two leaders, China-India relations have shown a sound momentum of improvement with frequent high-level exchanges in all areas and practical cooperation has entered a fast track," Lu said responding to a question on Sino-India ties. He said: "sound and steady China-India relations serve the interests of the two countries and people and contribute to world peace and development." "Now the world is facing uncertainties and destabilising factors and in such background, China is willing to work with India to enhance coordination and communication in international affairs and jointly uphold legitimate rights and interests of our two countries and developing countries," he said. He said the two countries cannot let differences become disputes and have been making efforts to use bilateral dialogue mechanism to conduct mutual and beneficial cooperation in all areas. Last month, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi had held extensive talks in New Delhi under a newly set up framework and agreed on "ten pillars" of cooperation to enhance cultural and people-to-people exchanges. The setting up of the 'High Level Mechanism on Cultural and People-to-People Exchanges' was decided upon during the Wuhan summit. Since the resolution of the Doklam face-off in 2017, the two countries have taken a series of measures to enhance overall ties.

Willing to work with India to enhance communication in international affairs: China

The Wuhan summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping has removed several "misconceptions" between the two countries which would enable them to work together on many issues like globalisation, India's envoy here has said.&nbsp;

In Wuhan, Modi and Xi spoke to each other for almost 10 hours, which is characterised as a strategic communication by both sides, Ambassador Gautam Bambawale said.

"Both leaders were very keen to have this kind of (informal) meeting. The reason why we did an informal summit was that we wanted the two leaders to talk to each other for the maximum amount of time," he said on the April 27-28 summit.&nbsp;

"We removed several misconceptions may have about each other. I think a lot of things bring India and China can do together. There are only few things where we differ with each other," Bambawale told the state-run China Global Television Network on Thursday.

He said both the countries are beneficiaries of multilateralism and India is a votary for globalisation like China.

The two countries agree that they are developing countries who are focused on improving the living standards of about 2.4 billion people. 
"India and China have similar view points on global issues. We both want to have an open system where multilateral system works," he said, adding that both the countries can work on many issues like globalisation.&nbsp;

He said the issue that divides the two countries is the unresolved boundary question.

"But even as we work for the resolution of the boundary problem between us, we have agreed that we will maintain peace and tranquillity at our borders and for the last 30 years we have succeeded in that," he said.&nbsp;

The India-China border dispute covers the 3,488 km long Line of Actual Control (LAC). While China claims Arunachal Pradesh as Southern Tibet, India asserts that the dispute covered Aksai Chin area which was occupied by China during the 1962 war.

Bambawale is retiring later this month and will be succeeded by India's current Ambassador to Myanmar, Vikram Misri.&nbsp;

To a question about Japan and China deciding to undertake a joint project in third countries, Bambawale said New Delhi and Beijing are also trying out such a cooperation and pointed to the recent decision to jointly train Afghan diplomats.

"At the Wuhan summit, Xi and Modi have agreed that India and China will do a joint project in Afghanistan. Here is yet another example of two Asian countries working together to help another Asian country. So, I think the future is bright as far as this aspect is concerned," he said.&nbsp;

To a question about India-China trade and investment moving to a fast lane, he said, "Yes, I agree, not just trade but also investments increasing between India and China".

"We are seeing more Chinese companies interested in investing in India and beginning to invest in India," he said and pointed to big strides made by Chinese companies like Xiaomi.&nbsp;

Huawei too has a research base in India employing about 6,000 Indian engineers.

He also spoke about Indian films like Dangal making big inroads in China.&nbsp;

He said film star Aamir Khan has become a "superstar" in China.

He said efforts are being made by both countries to increase people-to-people contacts.

The Wuhan summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping has removed several "misconceptions" between the two countries which would enable them to work together on many issues like globalisation, India's envoy here has said.

The Wuhan summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping has removed several "misconceptions" between the two countries which would enable them to work together on many issues like globalisation, India's envoy here has said. In Wuhan, Modi and Xi spoke to each other for almost 10 hours, which is characterised as a strategic communication by both sides, Ambassador Gautam Bambawale said. "Both leaders were very keen to have this kind of (informal) meeting. The reason why we did an informal summit was that we wanted the two leaders to talk to each other for the maximum amount of time," he said on the April 27-28 summit. "We removed several misconceptions may have about each other. I think a lot of things bring India and China can do together. There are only few things where we differ with each other," Bambawale told the state-run China Global Television Network on Thursday. He said both the countries are beneficiaries of multilateralism and India is a votary for globalisation like China. The two countries agree that they are developing countries who are focused on improving the living standards of about 2.4 billion people. "India and China have similar view points on global issues. We both want to have an open system where multilateral system works," he said, adding that both the countries can work on many issues like globalisation. He said the issue that divides the two countries is the unresolved boundary question. "But even as we work for the resolution of the boundary problem between us, we have agreed that we will maintain peace and tranquillity at our borders and for the last 30 years we have succeeded in that," he said. The India-China border dispute covers the 3,488 km long Line of Actual Control (LAC). While China claims Arunachal Pradesh as Southern Tibet, India asserts that the dispute covered Aksai Chin area which was occupied by China during the 1962 war. Bambawale is retiring later this month and will be succeeded by India's current Ambassador to Myanmar, Vikram Misri. To a question about Japan and China deciding to undertake a joint project in third countries, Bambawale said New Delhi and Beijing are also trying out such a cooperation and pointed to the recent decision to jointly train Afghan diplomats. "At the Wuhan summit, Xi and Modi have agreed that India and China will do a joint project in Afghanistan. Here is yet another example of two Asian countries working together to help another Asian country. So, I think the future is bright as far as this aspect is concerned," he said. To a question about India-China trade and investment moving to a fast lane, he said, "Yes, I agree, not just trade but also investments increasing between India and China". "We are seeing more Chinese companies interested in investing in India and beginning to invest in India," he said and pointed to big strides made by Chinese companies like Xiaomi. Huawei too has a research base in India employing about 6,000 Indian engineers. He also spoke about Indian films like Dangal making big inroads in China. He said film star Aamir Khan has become a "superstar" in China. He said efforts are being made by both countries to increase people-to-people contacts.

Modi-Xi summit in Wuhan removed several misconceptions between India and China: Indian envoy

In a move that could upset Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping have agreed to undertake a joint India-China economic project in Afghanistan at their first informal summit here, official sources said.

The understanding was reached between the two leaders during the two-day informal summit which concluded today, they said.

As per the understanding, officials of both sides will identify the project in following up discussions and work out modalities.

This will be a first such project in the war-torn country where China while trying to expand its influence has tacitly backed Pakistan, which has been accused by Afghanistan and the US of backing the Taliban and its most violent attacks in the country destabilising any attempts to restore peace.

China for the first time held a trilateral meeting with the foreign ministers of Pakistan and Afghanistan in December last in Beijing to narrow down the differences between the two countries.

China had also announced plans to extend its controversial China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan at the meeting.&nbsp;

(With PTI inputs)

As per the understanding, officials of both sides will identify the project in following up discussions and work out modalities.

In a move that could upset Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping have agreed to undertake a joint India-China economic project in Afghanistan at their first informal summit here, official sources said. The understanding was reached between the two leaders during the two-day informal summit which concluded today, they said. As per the understanding, officials of both sides will identify the project in following up discussions and work out modalities. This will be a first such project in the war-torn country where China while trying to expand its influence has tacitly backed Pakistan, which has been accused by Afghanistan and the US of backing the Taliban and its most violent attacks in the country destabilising any attempts to restore peace. China for the first time held a trilateral meeting with the foreign ministers of Pakistan and Afghanistan in December last in Beijing to narrow down the differences between the two countries. China had also announced plans to extend its controversial China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan at the meeting. (With PTI inputs)

India, China to undertake joint economic project in Afghanistan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping walked together at the picturesque East Lake here on Saturday.

On the second and last day of the informal summit, the two leaders were seen actively engaging with each other while walking by the lake.

Also, no aides were present with the two leaders.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> China: Prime Minister Narendra Modi & Chinese President Xi Jinping take a walk along East Lake in Wuhan. <a href="https://t.co/2v4nzR41da">pic.twitter.com/2v4nzR41da</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/990074342464802816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Raveesh Kumar captured the moment."Taking India-China relations on a forward-looking path, charting the future direction of the relationship! PM @narendramodi and Chinese President Xi take a walk together along the East Lake in Wuhan today morning," he wrote.

After the walk, Prime Minister Modi and President Xi will take a boat ride at the East Lake.The East Lake, a large freshwater lake in Wuhan city, is the largest urban lake in China.

It is one of the most popular tourist sites in the country, with over a million visiting the lake annually.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
China: Prime Minister Narendra Modi & Chinese President Xi Jinping inside a house boat in Wuhan's East Lake. <a href="https://t.co/liYCxlRiXA">pic.twitter.com/liYCxlRiXA</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/990075100224544768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

This will be followed by a private lunch hosted by the Chinese President in honour of Prime Minister Modi.At an event on Friday, Prime Minister Modi and President Xi were welcomed by a live band in Wuhan city playing an instrumental rendition of 1982 Bollywood hit song from `Yeh Vaada Raha` - `Tu, tu hai wahi, dil ne jise apna kaha.`

The Prime Minister, who is currently on a two-day visit to China, will depart for India on Saturday afternoon.&nbsp;

The two leaders yesterday held extensive talks amid the warmth and bonhomie.

They started the summit talks at the Hubei Provincial Museum where Xi took Modi around introducing the historic artefacts.

The museum walk scheduled for 20 minutes lasted over 40 minutes after which they began one-on-one talks.

The summit was stated to be unique as the two leaders have no pressure and obligation to strike any agreements nor make big announcements but focus mainly on candid discussions on solutions to some of the vexed problems like the boundary question and other issues.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
China: Prime Minister Narendra Modi & Chinese President Xi Jinping inside a house boat in Wuhan's East Lake. <a href="https://t.co/2VrpcPXz30">pic.twitter.com/2VrpcPXz30</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/990076390224683008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Their one-on-one talks were followed by delegation-level interaction with six top officials each from both sides took part, giving an impression that some of the critical issues were on the table for discussion.

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale and Indian Ambassador to China Gautam Bambawale were present in the meeting.

Xi headed a high-powered delegation which included Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee Ding Xuexiang, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Yang Jiechi and State Councillor and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi.

The delegation talks which apparently focussed on some of the most contentious issues lasted for over two hours overshooting scheduled half an hour, hinting the seriousness of the discussions, officials said.

Later Xi hosted a banquet in the honour of Modi at East Lake.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Taking India-China relations on a forward-looking path, charting the future direction of the relationship! PM <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a> and Chinese President Xi take a walk together along the East Lake in Wuhan today morning. <a href="https://t.co/KzBSbgR4dB">pic.twitter.com/KzBSbgR4dB</a>
— Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia/status/990069443978973184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&nbsp;

Today's talks included a walk around the famous East Lake here and an hour-long boat ride.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping walked together at the picturesque East Lake here on Saturday. On the second and last day of the informal summit, the two leaders were seen actively engaging with each other while walking by the lake. Also, no aides were present with the two leaders. #WATCH China: Prime Minister Narendra Modi & Chinese President Xi Jinping take a walk along East Lake in Wuhan. pic.twitter.com/2v4nzR41da — ANI (@ANI) April 28, 2018 × The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Raveesh Kumar captured the moment."Taking India-China relations on a forward-looking path, charting the future direction of the relationship! PM @narendramodi and Chinese President Xi take a walk together along the East Lake in Wuhan today morning," he wrote. After the walk, Prime Minister Modi and President Xi will take a boat ride at the East Lake.The East Lake, a large freshwater lake in Wuhan city, is the largest urban lake in China. It is one of the most popular tourist sites in the country, with over a million visiting the lake annually. China: Prime Minister Narendra Modi & Chinese President Xi Jinping inside a house boat in Wuhan's East Lake. pic.twitter.com/liYCxlRiXA — ANI (@ANI) April 28, 2018 × This will be followed by a private lunch hosted by the Chinese President in honour of Prime Minister Modi.At an event on Friday, Prime Minister Modi and President Xi were welcomed by a live band in Wuhan city playing an instrumental rendition of 1982 Bollywood hit song from `Yeh Vaada Raha` - `Tu, tu hai wahi, dil ne jise apna kaha.` The Prime Minister, who is currently on a two-day visit to China, will depart for India on Saturday afternoon. The two leaders yesterday held extensive talks amid the warmth and bonhomie. They started the summit talks at the Hubei Provincial Museum where Xi took Modi around introducing the historic artefacts. The museum walk scheduled for 20 minutes lasted over 40 minutes after which they began one-on-one talks. The summit was stated to be unique as the two leaders have no pressure and obligation to strike any agreements nor make big announcements but focus mainly on candid discussions on solutions to some of the vexed problems like the boundary question and other issues. China: Prime Minister Narendra Modi & Chinese President Xi Jinping inside a house boat in Wuhan's East Lake. pic.twitter.com/2VrpcPXz30 — ANI (@ANI) April 28, 2018 × Their one-on-one talks were followed by delegation-level interaction with six top officials each from both sides took part, giving an impression that some of the critical issues were on the table for discussion. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale and Indian Ambassador to China Gautam Bambawale were present in the meeting. Xi headed a high-powered delegation which included Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee Ding Xuexiang, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Yang Jiechi and State Councillor and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi. The delegation talks which apparently focussed on some of the most contentious issues lasted for over two hours overshooting scheduled half an hour, hinting the seriousness of the discussions, officials said. Later Xi hosted a banquet in the honour of Modi at East Lake. Taking India-China relations on a forward-looking path, charting the future direction of the relationship! PM @narendramodi and Chinese President Xi take a walk together along the East Lake in Wuhan today morning. pic.twitter.com/KzBSbgR4dB — Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) April 28, 2018 ×

Day 2 of PM Modi-Xi informal summit starts with stroll by lake in Wuhan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modi-arrives-in-wuhan-for-two-day-informal-summit-with-xi-jinping-133066">arrived at picturesque Wuhan city</a> in central China, at 12:30am on Friday, ahead of his much anticipated informal meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The meeting comes in the backdrop of the efforts made by <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/modi-xi-summit-all-about-the-indo-sino-ties-from-past-to-present-133147">both India and China</a> to move past the tensions, which rose out of last year's 73-day Doklam stand-off.

"In the informal summit the objective is that both of the leaders talk with each other to the maximum. There is <a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-fineprint-no-set-agenda-for-modi-xi-talks-at-wuhan-as-many-bilateral-issues-to-be-discussed-133065">no fixed agenda</a> to this. There will be no agreements or MoUs signed," India's ambassador to China, Gautam Bambawale, said.

We want to give both the leaders and environment where both of them may talk to each other specifically, he added.

Prime Minister Modi will commence his meetings with Chinese President Xi at 3:30pm on Friday at the Hubei Provincial Museum. After touring the museum for about an hour, the two leaders, accompanied by six top officials from each side, will hold talks at the sprawling East Lake Guest House, where Xi is staying.

This will be followed by the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/modi-xi-all-set-for-heart-to-heart-summit-133136">leaders' walk</a>. Dinner will be hosted by Chinese President Xi at the guest house in <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/all-you-need-to-know-about-wuhan-the-venue-for-informal-modi-xi-meet-132911">central Wuhan</a>.

"Indians should see this as a very sincere effort on the path of improving their relationship. It is in our national interest to succeed. There is a very strong sense that the India-China factor can bring a lot of stability. Asia would welcome the news of the informal summit as well as India," India's former foreign secretary S Jaishankar said.

On Saturday, the two leaders will have opportunity to spend time without their aides as with Xi taking Modi for a lakeside walk and a boat ride on the picturesque East Lake. This will be followed by a private lunch hosted by the Chinese President.

"One of the main objectives of the informal summit is discussion between the two leaders. Otherwise the objective is to give opportunity to the two leaders to speak to each other. They might have a walk in the park, they might go for boating in East Lake in Wuhan and thereby discussing some of the most important issues from the world," said Bambawale.

"When two leaders of big countries meet, then they don’t talk about specific micro issues," he said, adding, "India, China will be setting a new trend with the informal meeting."

No joint statement or communique will be issued after the informal talks.

According to the sources, the informal talks will be broad-based and over arching and no specific issues will be discussed. The idea is to open strategic communication channel at the highest level.

On Saturday, the two leaders will have opportunity to spend time without their aides as with Xi taking Modi for a lakeside walk and a boat ride on the picturesque East Lake.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at picturesque Wuhan city in central China, at 12:30am on Friday, ahead of his much anticipated informal meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The meeting comes in the backdrop of the efforts made by both India and China to move past the tensions, which rose out of last year's 73-day Doklam stand-off. "In the informal summit the objective is that both of the leaders talk with each other to the maximum. There is no fixed agenda to this. There will be no agreements or MoUs signed," India's ambassador to China, Gautam Bambawale, said. We want to give both the leaders and environment where both of them may talk to each other specifically, he added. Prime Minister Modi will commence his meetings with Chinese President Xi at 3:30pm on Friday at the Hubei Provincial Museum. After touring the museum for about an hour, the two leaders, accompanied by six top officials from each side, will hold talks at the sprawling East Lake Guest House, where Xi is staying. This will be followed by the leaders' walk. Dinner will be hosted by Chinese President Xi at the guest house in central Wuhan. "Indians should see this as a very sincere effort on the path of improving their relationship. It is in our national interest to succeed. There is a very strong sense that the India-China factor can bring a lot of stability. Asia would welcome the news of the informal summit as well as India," India's former foreign secretary S Jaishankar said. On Saturday, the two leaders will have opportunity to spend time without their aides as with Xi taking Modi for a lakeside walk and a boat ride on the picturesque East Lake. This will be followed by a private lunch hosted by the Chinese President. "One of the main objectives of the informal summit is discussion between the two leaders. Otherwise the objective is to give opportunity to the two leaders to speak to each other. They might have a walk in the park, they might go for boating in East Lake in Wuhan and thereby discussing some of the most important issues from the world," said Bambawale. "When two leaders of big countries meet, then they don’t talk about specific micro issues," he said, adding, "India, China will be setting a new trend with the informal meeting." No joint statement or communique will be issued after the informal talks. According to the sources, the informal talks will be broad-based and over arching and no specific issues will be discussed. The idea is to open strategic communication channel at the highest level.

Private lunch, candid dialogue but no set agenda for Modi-Xi talks at Wuhan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit China for two days for an <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/modi-xi-will-not-sign-agreements-at-wuhan-summit-but-build-trust-to-resolve-bilateral-issues-china-132552">'informal meeting'</a> with President Xi Jinping, as efforts at rapprochement gather pace following a testing year in ties between the two giant neighbours.

Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said the two would meet on Friday and Saturday in the central <a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/why-is-india-china-wuhan-summit-different--132672">Chinese city of Wuhan</a>. He added that PM Modi is visiting Wuhan at the invitation of President Xi.

But the details of the meeting, which is reported to have been called suddenly, were being worked upon for the past many days. The meeting of India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval with China's State Councillor on April 13, and presence of foreign minister Sushma Swaraj and defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman in China point towards this.

"Our common interests far outweigh our differences. The two countries have no choice other than pursuing everlasting friendship, mutually beneficial cooperation and common development," Wang told reporters after meeting Swaraj in Beijing.

Swaraj confirmed later that her discussion with Wang was to prepare for the informal summit.

<a href="www.wionews.com/india-news/modi-xi-to-chart-a-new-course-for-india-china-ties-at-wuhan-summit--132075">Modi's visit</a> is being considered as a bold step, especially after the Doklam stand-off and other border issues. The Asian giants were locked in a 73-day military stand-off in Doklam last year. At one point, soldiers from the two sides threw stones and punches.

This is the fourth time Modi will be visiting China after becoming the Prime Minister. He visited China for bilateral talks in 2015, then again in 2016 to take part in G-20 summit. Modi also attended the BRICS Summit last year in China.

It is almost unheard of for foreign leaders to visit China in such close succession. Xi is also extending Modi the rare honour of a meeting outside of Beijing, which almost never happens unless there is a multilateral summit taking place. Chinese officials said Modi will stay in the most comfortable place in Wuhan.

"The two leaders will spend two days in Wuhan. In these two days, they will engage with other on various forums. What I can tell you here is that they will spend a lot of time together one-on-one," Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou said. "Leaders in the past met in multilateral occasions, 30 minutes or one hour. Those meetings are important but personally speaking the meetings on the multilateral occasions are more ceremonial meetings," he added.

What's on the agenda?

Trade talks are likely to dominate the meeting between Modi and Xi. With a trade war brewing between US and China, Beijing is keen to amp up the volume of trade with New Delhi. Currently, the trade deficit between the two countries is close to Rs 3.5 lakh crore, though exports have risen by 39 per cent and imports by 14. India has been trying hard to reduce the trade deficit and has been asking Beijing to open IT and pharma sectors for Indian firms.

The second talking point between two leaders is going to be the border issue. Both Modi and Xi are likely to discuss the situation in Doklam and iron out issues pertaining to the network of roads in border areas.

However, sources in New Delhi said the meeting will not have an "issue-based discussion but a strategic conversation between the two leaders to understand each other's perspective on national and international matters". They also said that the summit is not aimed at "resetting" India-China ties.

At the informal summit, the two leaders will have strategic communication on the major changes in the international landscape unseen in more than 100 years. They will have in-depth exchange of views on the issues of overarching long-term and strategic importance in the bilateral relations, Kong said.

"This time we will make the first attempt to hold the informal summit. I am confident that with the joint efforts of both sides the new format will live up to the expectations," he added.&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp

It is almost unheard of for foreign leaders to visit China in such close succession.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit China for two days for an 'informal meeting' with President Xi Jinping, as efforts at rapprochement gather pace following a testing year in ties between the two giant neighbours. Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said the two would meet on Friday and Saturday in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. He added that PM Modi is visiting Wuhan at the invitation of President Xi. But the details of the meeting, which is reported to have been called suddenly, were being worked upon for the past many days. The meeting of India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval with China's State Councillor on April 13, and presence of foreign minister Sushma Swaraj and defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman in China point towards this. "Our common interests far outweigh our differences. The two countries have no choice other than pursuing everlasting friendship, mutually beneficial cooperation and common development," Wang told reporters after meeting Swaraj in Beijing. Swaraj confirmed later that her discussion with Wang was to prepare for the informal summit. Modi's visit is being considered as a bold step, especially after the Doklam stand-off and other border issues. The Asian giants were locked in a 73-day military stand-off in Doklam last year. At one point, soldiers from the two sides threw stones and punches. This is the fourth time Modi will be visiting China after becoming the Prime Minister. He visited China for bilateral talks in 2015, then again in 2016 to take part in G-20 summit. Modi also attended the BRICS Summit last year in China. It is almost unheard of for foreign leaders to visit China in such close succession. Xi is also extending Modi the rare honour of a meeting outside of Beijing, which almost never happens unless there is a multilateral summit taking place. Chinese officials said Modi will stay in the most comfortable place in Wuhan. "The two leaders will spend two days in Wuhan. In these two days, they will engage with other on various forums. What I can tell you here is that they will spend a lot of time together one-on-one," Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou said. "Leaders in the past met in multilateral occasions, 30 minutes or one hour. Those meetings are important but personally speaking the meetings on the multilateral occasions are more ceremonial meetings," he added. What's on the agenda? Trade talks are likely to dominate the meeting between Modi and Xi. With a trade war brewing between US and China, Beijing is keen to amp up the volume of trade with New Delhi. Currently, the trade deficit between the two countries is close to Rs 3.5 lakh crore, though exports have risen by 39 per cent and imports by 14. India has been trying hard to reduce the trade deficit and has been asking Beijing to open IT and pharma sectors for Indian firms. The second talking point between two leaders is going to be the border issue. Both Modi and Xi are likely to discuss the situation in Doklam and iron out issues pertaining to the network of roads in border areas. However, sources in New Delhi said the meeting will not have an "issue-based discussion but a strategic conversation between the two leaders to understand each other's perspective on national and international matters". They also said that the summit is not aimed at "resetting" India-China ties. At the informal summit, the two leaders will have strategic communication on the major changes in the international landscape unseen in more than 100 years. They will have in-depth exchange of views on the issues of overarching long-term and strategic importance in the bilateral relations, Kong said. "This time we will make the first attempt to hold the informal summit. I am confident that with the joint efforts of both sides the new format will live up to the expectations," he added.

With trade deficit on mind, Modi heads to Wuhan for 'informal meeting' with Xi Jinping

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will not sign any agreements or issue a joint statement at the Wuhan summit this week but they will try to build mutual trust and reach important consensus to resolve the outstanding issues, a top Chinese official said today.

Prime Minister Modi will travel to China on April 27 for an informal summit with President Xi in the central China's Wuhan city.

"Both sides have agreed not to sign an agreement or release any joint document but reach important consensus to resolve outstanding issues," Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou told the media here on the two-day summit.&nbsp

This informal summit is the first of its kind and there is no precedent in each other's country, he said, explaining why both the leaders opted to hold the summit.

"At the informal summit, the two leaders will have heart-to-heart discussions on overarching issues and try to build mutual trust and consensus to resolve outstanding differences," Kong said.

Asked whether the Doklam issue and the boundary dispute will figure in the talks, Kong said Doklam happened because of lack of trust.

"The two countries need to create conditions and trust between them to resolve the boundary issue," he added.

Prime Minister Modi will travel to China on April 27 for an informal summit with President Xi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will not sign any agreements or issue a joint statement at the Wuhan summit this week but they will try to build mutual trust and reach important consensus to resolve the outstanding issues, a top Chinese official said today. Prime Minister Modi will travel to China on April 27 for an informal summit with President Xi in the central China's Wuhan city. "Both sides have agreed not to sign an agreement or release any joint document but reach important consensus to resolve outstanding issues," Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou told the media here on the two-day summit. This informal summit is the first of its kind and there is no precedent in each other's country, he said, explaining why both the leaders opted to hold the summit. "At the informal summit, the two leaders will have heart-to-heart discussions on overarching issues and try to build mutual trust and consensus to resolve outstanding differences," Kong said. Asked whether the Doklam issue and the boundary dispute will figure in the talks, Kong said Doklam happened because of lack of trust. "The two countries need to create conditions and trust between them to resolve the boundary issue," he added.

Modi-Xi will not sign agreements at Wuhan Summit but build trust to resolve bilateral issues: China

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold a summit in China's Wuhan city from April 27 to 28 for a "heart-to-heart" chat to explore a new paradigm for India-China ties and find ways to address the contentious issues like the border dispute.

Conceived on the lines of the ice-breaking visit undertaken by late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1988 and his far-reaching talks with China's paramount leader Deng Xiaoping, setting a new tone for the relations after the 1962 war, the Xi-Modi dialogue in the central Chinese city of Wuhan was aimed at a working a new paradigm for the bilateral relations for the next 15 years, informed sources told PTI here.&nbsp

At the "informal summit" with a few officials and aides at a picturesque location, the two leaders plan to spend several hours exchanging their vision and perspectives about global and domestic scenarios and explore ideas to address the contentious bilateral issues like the border dispute, they said.&nbsp

The talks will focus on adhering to the principle that both countries should be sensitive to each other's concerns and aspirations, the sources said.

At the summit, Modi and Xi will try to work out a general framework for relations to move ahead without much of great expectations about the outcome, they said.

It is a leadership-driven summit, providing a leadership driven-direction and a way forward to more stable bilateral ties, the sources said.&nbsp

While no major agreements were expected to be reached at the summit, the two leaders will have candid talks on the contentious issues like Xi's pet project, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) whose flagship project, the USD 50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has become a major stumbling block for the bilateral ties.&nbsp

India protested about CPEC as it is being laid through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) disregarding India's sovereignty concerns.&nbsp

Last year turned out to be an extremely complex and difficult year for Sino-Indian ties with a host of festering differences like China blocking India's entry into the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) as well as attempts to list Jaish-e-Muhammad leader Masood Azhar as a terrorist by the UN. The 73-day standoff at Dokalam also hit bilateral ties.

The Wuhan summit is aimed at giving an "honest try" by the two leaders to work out an understanding at the top on the future course of relations to navigate through the maze of differences and build strategic trust and communication between themselves, they said.

It will be the fourth visit by Modi to China since he took over power in 2014 and a second bilateral visit. He made first bilateral visit in 2015 followed by a visit to Hangzhou to take part in the G-20 summit in 2016 and BRICS summit in Xiamen last year.

He is again due to visit Chinese city of Qingdao in June this year to take part in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.

The two leaders decided to meet ahead of SCO meet as the summit of the eight-member group will offer little time and space for a lengthy interaction, the sources said.

The Modi-Xi meeting has been worked out by both sides following an understanding between the two governments that positive relations without much of tensions are most important for the development of both the countries.

While China sees India as a country of faster economic growth and safe destination for Chinese investments, and regard good ties with it is important for its peaceful rise, the thinking in India too is that peaceful relations with China is important for the progress of initiatives like the 'Make in India', they said.

At their summit, the two leaders were expected to have a "heart-to- heart" chat and look at the big picture of the bilateral ties, they said.

The summit is taking place as Xi, now regarded as the most powerful leader of China is poised for a longer tenure in the office after the last month's removal of the two-term limit for President.&nbsp

The summit provides an opportunity for the 64-year-old Chinese leader to elaborate on the contours of his oft-stated Chinese dream of national rejuvenation, while Modi was expected to highlight the importance of campaigns like the 'Make in India' and his vision of "Vasudeva Kutumbakam", (world as a single family) they said.&nbsp

The Modi-Xi summit meeting is taking place in the backdrop of a series of high level interactions between both the two countries starting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to India in December, the first after the Dokalam standoff.

It was followed by two meetings between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi and the visit early this year by Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale to Beijing.

 
&nbsp

It will be the fourth visit by Modi to China since he took over power in 2014 and a second bilateral visit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold a summit in China's Wuhan city from April 27 to 28 for a "heart-to-heart" chat to explore a new paradigm for India-China ties and find ways to address the contentious issues like the border dispute. Conceived on the lines of the ice-breaking visit undertaken by late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1988 and his far-reaching talks with China's paramount leader Deng Xiaoping, setting a new tone for the relations after the 1962 war, the Xi-Modi dialogue in the central Chinese city of Wuhan was aimed at a working a new paradigm for the bilateral relations for the next 15 years, informed sources told PTI here. At the "informal summit" with a few officials and aides at a picturesque location, the two leaders plan to spend several hours exchanging their vision and perspectives about global and domestic scenarios and explore ideas to address the contentious bilateral issues like the border dispute, they said. The talks will focus on adhering to the principle that both countries should be sensitive to each other's concerns and aspirations, the sources said. At the summit, Modi and Xi will try to work out a general framework for relations to move ahead without much of great expectations about the outcome, they said. It is a leadership-driven summit, providing a leadership driven-direction and a way forward to more stable bilateral ties, the sources said. While no major agreements were expected to be reached at the summit, the two leaders will have candid talks on the contentious issues like Xi's pet project, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) whose flagship project, the USD 50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has become a major stumbling block for the bilateral ties. India protested about CPEC as it is being laid through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) disregarding India's sovereignty concerns. Last year turned out to be an extremely complex and difficult year for Sino-Indian ties with a host of festering differences like China blocking India's entry into the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) as well as attempts to list Jaish-e-Muhammad leader Masood Azhar as a terrorist by the UN. The 73-day standoff at Dokalam also hit bilateral ties. The Wuhan summit is aimed at giving an "honest try" by the two leaders to work out an understanding at the top on the future course of relations to navigate through the maze of differences and build strategic trust and communication between themselves, they said. It will be the fourth visit by Modi to China since he took over power in 2014 and a second bilateral visit. He made first bilateral visit in 2015 followed by a visit to Hangzhou to take part in the G-20 summit in 2016 and BRICS summit in Xiamen last year. He is again due to visit Chinese city of Qingdao in June this year to take part in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. The two leaders decided to meet ahead of SCO meet as the summit of the eight-member group will offer little time and space for a lengthy interaction, the sources said. The Modi-Xi meeting has been worked out by both sides following an understanding between the two governments that positive relations without much of tensions are most important for the development of both the countries. While China sees India as a country of faster economic growth and safe destination for Chinese investments, and regard good ties with it is important for its peaceful rise, the thinking in India too is that peaceful relations with China is important for the progress of initiatives like the 'Make in India', they said. At their summit, the two leaders were expected to have a "heart-to- heart" chat and look at the big picture of the bilateral ties, they said. The summit is taking place as Xi, now regarded as the most powerful leader of China is poised for a longer tenure in the office after the last month's removal of the two-term limit for President. The summit provides an opportunity for the 64-year-old Chinese leader to elaborate on the contours of his oft-stated Chinese dream of national rejuvenation, while Modi was expected to highlight the importance of campaigns like the 'Make in India' and his vision of "Vasudeva Kutumbakam", (world as a single family) they said. The Modi-Xi summit meeting is taking place in the backdrop of a series of high level interactions between both the two countries starting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to India in December, the first after the Dokalam standoff. It was followed by two meetings between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi and the visit early this year by Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale to Beijing.

Modi-Xi to chart a new course for India-China ties at Wuhan summit

wuhan-summit

Wuhan Summit, News on Wuhan Summit, stories on Wuhan Summit, articles on Wuhan Summit, Wuhan Summit stories at Wion, Wuhan Summit news, Wuhan Summit latest news

wuhan summit