BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will seek to repair strained ties at a summit on Friday (Apr 27) after…
BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will seek to repair strained ties at a summit on Friday (Apr 27) after an intense border dispute marred relations last year.
Xi will host Modi for what has been described as an « informal summit » in the central Chinese city of Wuhan on Friday and Saturday.
While last year’s high-altitude standoff in the Himalayas has been resolved, the world’s most populous countries have a long history of mistrust.
New Delhi has also raised concerns about Beijing’s signature Belt and Road initiative, a global trade infrastructure programme that includes a major project through Pakistan-administered Kashmir, disputed territory that New Delhi claims is illegally occupied.
The summit « is New Delhi’s well intentioned attempt to reach out to Beijing to see if the past can be put behind and if the relationship can be reset, » Harsh Pant, international relations professor at King’s College London, told AFP.
Xi and Modi have « a good working relationship and personal friendship, » Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said on Tuesday.
« The two sides agreed that an informal meeting would be a good idea so that the two leaders would make full and in-depth exchanges on major issues of common concern in a suitable atmosphere, » Lu said.
