Mamallapuram: India and China on Saturday resolved to start a new chapter of cooperation while prudently managing their differences as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to set up a ministerial-level mechanism to boost trade and investment and work towards deepening defence and security ties during their second informal summit in this ancient coastal town.
Among the significant outcomes of their nearly seven-hour one-on-one talks over two days were China’s assurance to address India’s concerns on ballooning trade deficit and on negotiations for the proposed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), work on additional confidence building measures and agreement on consolidating strategic communication to enhance mutual trust between militaries of the two countries to maintain peace on border.
Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale, addressing a press conference at the end of the summit, said the Kashmir issue was not raised or discussed during the deliberations, but said the Chinese leader briefed Modi about Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visit to Beijing earlier in the week.
“The two leaders had an in-depth exchange of views in a friendly atmosphere on overarching, long-term and strategic issues of global and regional importance,” Gokhale said, at the end of Xi’s nearly 24-hour visit. A new era of cooperation will start between India and China on Saturday with the “Chennai Connect”, Prime Minister Modi said in his remarks at the delegation level talks after a 90-minute one-on-one conversation with Xi in a luxury resort overlooking the Bay of Bengal. Xi said their “candid”, “heart-to-heart” discussions on bilateral relations were “in-depth” and “good”, noting that maintaining and expanding the Sino-India relations is a firm policy of his government. “The Wuhan spirit gave a new momentum and trust to our relations. Today, our Chennai Connect will lead to the start of a new era of cooperation between the two countries,” Modi said, referring to outcome arrived at the first informal summit between the two leaders at the Chinese city in April last year. President Xi invited Modi to visit China for the third informal summit and Modi has accepted the invitation.
Giving an account of outcome of the summit, Gokhale said the two leaders were concerned that terrorism continues to pose a common threat. They recognised the importance of continued joint efforts to ensure that the international community strengthens the framework against training, financing and supporting terrorist groups throughout the world and on a non-discriminatory basis.
On the vexed boundary issue, Gokhale said both sides will continue to work on additional confidence building measures to enhance peace and tranquillity along the border.
The two leaders have also decided to establish a high-level economic and trade dialogue mechanism with the objective of achieving enhanced trade and commercial relations, as well as to better balance the trade between the two countries, he said. It will be headed by Vice Premier Hu Chunhua on the Chinese side and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman from India.
In the talks, the Chinese president welcomed greater Indian investment in China in information technology and pharmaceutical sectors, Gokhale said.
They have also agreed to encourage mutual investments in identified sectors through the development of a manufacturing partnership and tasked their officials to develop the idea at the first meeting of the new dialogue mechanism, the foreign secretary said.
The two leaders reiterated the consensus reached during the first Informal Summit in Wuhan that India and China are factors for stability in the current international landscape and that both side will prudently manage their differences and not allow differences on any issue to become disputes, a press release said.
Gokhale said Modi and Xi recognised that India and China have a common interest in preserving and advancing a rules-based and inclusive international order, including through reforms that reflect the new realities of the 21st century.
Modi and Xi held a 90-minute meeting at the Taj’s Fisherman’s Cove resort on Saturday and took a stroll along the beach front. It was followed by delegation-level talks.
Earlier, Modi and Xi came together to the venue in a golf cart. On Friday, Modi and Xi held a total of four-and-half-hour “open and cordial” one-on-one discussion including over dinner.
Xi’s visit to India comes two days after he held talks with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in Bejing. After the talks, a joint statement said China is paying “close attention” to the situation in Kashmir and that the issue should be properly and peacefully resolved based on the UN Charter. (PTI)
