Modi tells Xi summit will launch ‘new era’ for India and China

>>NEW DELHI: India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said yesterday that his summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping would launch a “new era” between the neighbours who are seeking to overcome troublesome differences.

Mr Modi and Mr Xi strolled along a pristine Bay of Bengal beach and held one-on-one talks overlooking the ocean before their delegations sat down to official negotiations at the historic resort town of Mahabalipuram.

The two leaders are meeting for the second time in a year in a bid to ease tensions over border disputes, Kashmir, and China’s domination of trade between their economies.

Mr Modi said a summit in the Chinese city of Wuhan last year “gave increased stability and fresh momentum to our relationship”.

“Our Chennai vision today has launched a new era of cooperation between our two countries,” he added as he launched the formal talks.

Mr Modi highlighted how the two had agreed last year to “prudently manage our differences and not to allow them to become disputes”.

They agreed to “remain sensitive to each other’s concerns” so the relationship “will be a source of peace and stability in the world. All these are our big achievements and inspire us to work harder”.

Mr Modi did not mention the irritations between the two sides, saying only that he and Mr Xi had “discussed important bilateral and global issues”.

The buildup to the summit has been dominated by India’s move in August to end the autonomous status of Jammu and Kashmir state.

Changes ordered by the New Delhi government will see Kashmir’s Ladakh region — part of which is claimed by Beijing — turned into a separate Indian administrative territory.

India has moved closer to the United States and its allies in seeking a counter-weight to China’s growing military shadow in the Asia-Pacific region.

It has been infuriated by China’s diplomatic backing for Pakistan, which controls a large chunk of Muslim-majority Kashmir. The Himalayan region has been a longstanding source of conflict between India and Pakistan.