Wuhan summit seen as attempt to steer ties in a new direction amid border disputes and attempts at regional dominance.
Chinese President Xi Jinping called for stepped-up cooperation with India during an informal summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi amid border tensions and a rivalry for influence with smaller neighbours that could determine dominance in Asia.
Xi greeted Modi at the provincial museum in the city of Wuhan on Friday at the start of two days of talks between the heads of the world’s two most populous nations.
“Conducting great cooperation by our two great countries can generate worldwide influence,” Xi was quoted as saying by state broadcaster CCTV. Xi said he hoped the meeting would “usher in a new chapter of China-India relations”
Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Raveesh Kumar tweeted the leaders would “review the developments in our bilateral relations from a strategic and long-term perspective”.
China-India relations date back centuries, but in recent decades have been characterised by competition for leadership in Asia.
