By Tenzin Dharpo
DHARAMSHALA, April 28: The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday began their informal summit in the Chinese holiday destination Wuhan. The meet is described as a trust building exercise where the two Asian giants look to solidify relations.
Xi hosted a grand welcoming ceremony for the Indian PM at the Hubei Provincial Museum followed by one-on-one talks that lasted two hours, it was reported. “Delighted to meet President Xi Jinping in Wuhan. Our talks were extensive and fruitful. We deliberated on stronger India-China relations as well as other global issues,” Modi tweeted at the end of first of the two-day meet yesterday.
The optics for the meet between Xi and Modi is overwhelmingly positive, contrary to the stern rhetoric the two administrations have been passing barely weeks ago. The Indian PM presented President Xi Jinping reprints of two paintings created by Chinese painter Xu Beihong during his stay at Shantiniketan during 1939-40.
The delegation-level talks between the two heads of state was accompanied on the Indian side by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vijay Keshav Gokhale and India’s ambassador to Beijing Gautam Bambawale, among other diplomats while President Xi’s delegation comprised of Politburo member Yang Jiechi, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and Chinese Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui.
“This meticulously planned meeting will offer the leaders more time to discuss current issues and the future blueprint for bilateral relations,” Wang Lian, a professor at elite Peking University’s School of International Relations, was quoted as saying by news agency Associated Press.
However, Modi’s opposition in India has called the meeting a “no agenda” meet and called on him to talk about pressing issues wedged between the two countries. Congress President Rahul Gandhi tweeted, “Dear PM, Saw the live TV feed of your “No Agenda” China visit. You look tense! India wants to hear you talk about these crucial issues.”
