After their "very open and cordial" talks on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to meet again today in the seaside town of Mahabalipuram near Chennai to continue their talks, which will be followed by delegation-level talks. Ahead of which, China’s state media outlets on Friday spoke of further enhancement of China-India ties.
The state-run Global Times said that Chinese president Xi Jinping and PM Narendra Modi “want nothing to get in the way of constructive engagement”. Today's meeting will focus on international and regional issues, announced Foreign Secretary Vijay K Gokhale and the two sides will also issue separate statements of the outcomes of the two-day informal summit between Prime Minister Modi and President Xi. The focus of the meeting is likely to find ways to improve people-to-people contact, enhance trade and on how to maintain peace and tranquillity along the 3, 500-kilometre long India-China border.
State-run Global Times said, “The West tends to have the misinterpretation over the Asian century as it believes it would be a China-centered century. But late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping articulated long ago that no genuine Asian century would come without the development of China, India and other regional developing countries.”
The Global Times article further added, “Some observers say Beijing and New Delhi ‘never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity.’ This might be exaggerated but makes sense. Only when the two overcome their disagreements and start sincere collaboration can they send encouraging messages over the arrival of a real Asian century”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday vowed to work together in facing the challenges of radicalisation and terrorism in India and China during a two-and-half hour "open and cordial" one-on-one discussion over dinner at the magnificent Shore temple complex in this ancient coastal town.
