India and China get down to serious, pragmatic neighborly relations
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PM Narendra Modi holds ‘very substantive’ talks with President Xi Jinping at latter’s hometown
By PTI and Times of India.
Prime
Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday began a three-day visit to China from
this northwest city, the hometown of Chinese President Xi Jinping with
whom he held "very substantive" discussions focussing on strengthening
of mutual trust and the boundary issue.
On his first visit to
China since assuming office last year, Modi was warmly greeted by Xi,
who set aside protocol to receive a foreign dignitary outside Beijing in
replay of the Indian leader's gesture in September last when he
welcomed the Chinese President in Ahmedabad.
Even as mutual warmth was apparent, Modi
raised the question of some $46 billion investment by China in an
economic corridor passing through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), about which India had protested. The investments were announced during Xi's visit to Pakistan last month.
Complete coverage — PM Modi's China visit
Another ticklish issue reportedly raised by Modi concerns the issuance
of stapled visas by China to residents of Arunachal Pradesh, which the
Chinese claim to be a part of southern Tibet, a claim totally rejected
by India.
For the record, foreign secretary S Jaishankar said
the "very substantive talks" between the two leaders covered subjects
ranging from political, economic and global issues like terrorism, UN
security council reforms and India's membership of Nuclear Suppliers
Group (NSG).
"On the political side, there was a lot of
discussion on strengthening trust and increasing convergence," he said
while briefing media on the 90-minute delegation-level talks without
taking any questions.
READ ALSO: Modi, Xi discuss ways to strengthen trust between two countries
He said the two leaders discussed the boundary issue, including peace and tranquility, besides trans-border rivers.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi (left) during a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at Xi'an, on May 14, 2015. (PTI photo)
The boundary issue has been a sticking point in the relations between
the two major Asian countries and both are making efforts to settle it
through special representatives' talks. The special representatives have
held 18 rounds of discussions so far.
Talking about the
atmospherics at the meeting, the third in a year between Modi and the
all-powerful Xi, who is also the general secretary of the Chinese
Communist Party, Jaishankar said, "the atmosphere was very comfortable.
"So, in the sense it was building on the chemistry between the two of
them which started last September."
As it happened: Modi in China — Day 1
On the economic front, Modi and Xi discussed the issue of trade
deficit, which is in favour of China to the tune of $38 billion, and
ways to address it.
They also talked about the investment climate and challenges of reforms, Jaishankar said.
