Two countries have established closer partnership in recent years: Xi Jinping
WEB DESK
Hailing the centuries old ties between India and China, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said that the two countries have a big opportunity to work together for the benefit of their people and the world.
During a delegation-level talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Wuhan, Mr Modi said India and China have the responsibility to work for 40 per cent of the world population. Mr Modi arrived in Wuhan early this morning for a two-day informal summit with Chinese President.
Prime Minister recalled that during the 2000 years of history, India and China together provided momentum and strength to the world economy and dominated it for around 1600 years.
Mr Modi said the two countries together constituted for about 50 per cent of the world economy and another 50 per cent was shared by rest of the world for 1600 years. Mr Modi also said the people of India felt proud that President Xi has twice received him out of the capital Beijing.
Prime Minister said such informal summits should become a tradition between the two countries. Mr Modi also offered to hold the next informal summit in India in 2019.
President Xi said the two countries have established closer partnership and made positive progress in recent years. He said in the past five years, they have achieved a lot and met each other on many occasions. Mr Xi said he believes in future and the two leaders could meet in format like this from time to time.
Earlier, the two leaders exchanged views on solidifying the India-China relationship at a one to one meeting as they began a two-day informal summit in Wuhan. Mr Modi and Mr Xi will have a series of meetings focussing on bilateral, global and regional issues during Mr Modi’s visit to China.Mr Modi began talks soon after President Xi hosted a grand welcoming ceremony for him.
The summit in Wuhan is being seen as an effort by India and China to rebuild trust and improve ties that were hit by the 73-day-long Dokalam standoff last year. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted that the two leaders had the one-on-one meeting during which they exchanged views on solidifying our bilateral relationship. Mr Kumar said they will review the developments in the bilateral relations from a strategic and long-term perspective during their meetings.
Earlier, Mr Modi and Mr Xi shook hands and posed for photographs before witnessing a cultural programme at Hubei Provincial Museum in Wuhan. The two leaders also visited an exhibition of Marquis Yi of Zeng Cultural Relics & Treasure at the Hubei Provincial Museum. The museum has a large number of state-level historic and cultural relics. The two leaders will have one-on-one dinner at a state guest house by the famous East Lake.
They will resume their one-on-one interaction tomorrow morning with walks by the lake side, boat ride and wind up their talks over lunch.The Wuhan summit is being seen as an effort by India and China to rebuild trust and improve ties that were hit by the 73-day-long Dokalam standoff last year.
The two leaders began their informal meetings way back in 2014 when Mr Xi was hosted by Mr Modi at the Sabarmati Ashram of Mahatma Gandhi in Gujarat. They have met and interacted with each other in about a dozen international meetings since then.
This is fourth visit of Modi to China after he came to power in 2014. He is again due to visit China to take part in the SCO summit to be held at Qingdao city on June 9-10.
Xi Jinping hosted dinner for Prime minister Modi at the same place where China’s iconic leader Mao had hosted American Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and President Richard Nixon. Chinese state media described the meet between the two leaders as a surprise diplomatic initiative.
Before the delegation level talk, at the Hubei Provincial Museum Chinese President extended a warm welcome to Prime Minister Modi by waiting for him at the end of the red carpet. Mr Modi got down from his vehicle and walked towards the waiting Chinese President with his arms outstretched to shake hands with Xi. The handshake lasted for several minutes before the two leaders proceeded for a cultural programme.
President Xi said he was very happy to meet Prime minister and Spring is a good time to meet .
Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented President Xi Jinping reprints of two paintings done by the celebrated Chinese painter Xu Beihong during his stay at Santiniketan during 1939-40.
Titled The Horse and Sparrows and Grass, these paintings are in the collection of Visva-Bharati, and their single reprints were especially commissioned by the ICCR on the occasion of the informal summit between the two leaders at Wuhan.
Xu Beihong came to Santiniketan and taught at the Kala Bhavana as its first visiting professor from China. During his stay, Rabindranath Tagore inaugurated an exhibition of more than 150 paintings of Xu Beihong in December 1939.