All eyes on TN as Modi, Xi summit begins today
The extensive arrangements made in this seaside resort for the second IndiaChina informal summit from Friday give no inkling of the sharp exchanges on Kashmir that have clouded the atmosphere over the past few weeks, with officials saying New Delhi is looking toward a substantive engagement that can help clear the air.
President Xi Jinping is set to fly to Chennai airport shortly after 2pm on Friday, two days after he remarked during a meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan that China is closely following the situation in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) and will support Pakistan in protecting its rights.
The external affairs ministry’s response was swift and direct – it said China was aware of India’s position that J&K is an integral part of the country, and that it didn’t welcome comments from other countries on its internal affairs.
However, the testy exchange doesn’t appear to have thrown a dampener on preparations for the informal summit that will see Xi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi having one-on-one exchanges for several hours as they go around a temple complex dating back to the 7th and 8th century, and spend time at Fisherman’s Cove, a luxury beachfront resort, on Friday and Saturday.
The Indian side believes these unscripted meetings without any agenda will give the two leaders an opportunity to clear the air on a host of issues, exactly as they had done during their first informal summit in the Chinese city of Wuhan last year, which came in the wake of the 73-day military stand-off at Doklam.
People familiar with the developments have already said the Indian side doesn’t expect to discuss the Kashmir issue and the recent organisation of the state, though the Prime Minister will outline and explain India’s position on the matter if it is raised by the Chinese president.
The Chinese ambassador to India, Sun Weidong, told news agency PTI that the two countries pose no threat to each other and greater cooperation between them would inject positive energy in ensuring peace and stability into a “complicated world”.
“A new set of consensus is expected, including a shared vision for transformation of the international system, the common responsibility and role of China and India in regional affairs, and guiding principles on the development direction of bilateral relations and cooperation in various fields,” he added.
On Friday, soon after arriving in Mamallapuram, a collection of rathas (temples shaped like chariots) and mandapas (cave sanctuaries) about 50km from Chennai, that was listed as a World Heritage Site in 1994, the two leaders will have a guided tour of Arjuna’s Penance, Panch Rathas and the Shore Temple, and watch a cultural performance by a troupe from Kalakshetra Foundation, a cultural academy founded in 1936.
This will be followed by a dinner hosted by Modi, which will again give the two leaders some more time together.
THE TWO LEADERS WILL BE TOURING THE HISTORIC TEMPLE TOWN FOR THEIR FIRST ONEON-ONE SINCE MEETING AT A RESORT IN WUHAN, CHINA, IN APRIL 2018