Foreign Secretary On PM Modi-Xi Jinping Summit: Strategic Communication Has Deepened

Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale on Saturday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping had a total of 6 hours of one to one meeting during the two-day long informal summit. The two leaders had a conversation for almost 90 minutes today which was followed by delegation-level talks and then lunch was hosted by PM Modi. During the meeting, it was decided that a new mechanism will be established to discuss trade, investment, and services, at an elevated level. 

"Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman from India and Vice Premier Hu Chunhua from China will be the party of it," said Gokhale.

PM Modi and Xi agreed that both countries should work together to deal with the challenge of terrorism and the Chinese president talked about the importance of defence cooperation. Gokhale also said that Kashmir issued was not raised and discussed during the informal meeting. 

"This (Kashmir) issue was not raised and not discussed. Our position is anyways very clear that this is an internal matter of India," he said.

Building on the 'Wuhan spirit', the prime minister spoke of "Chennai connect" for a new era of cooperation between India and China, he said.

Both Modi and Xi emphasised on importance of having rules-based global trading system, he said, both leaders felt that the two countries should cooperate on important regional and global issues.  

Both Xi and PM Modi said the two countries need to look to the future. The two leaders agreed that both countries should work together to deal with the challenge of terrorism, Gokhale said.

"There was new focus on people to people relations. It was decided that public of both countries must be brought in the relationship. Ideas were exchanged on this," Gokhale added.

Gokhale said that President Xi Jinping has invited PM Modi to China for the next summit. "PM Modi has accepted the invitation and dates will be worked out later," the Foreign Secretary said. 

Vijay Gokhale, Foreign Secretary: President Xi spoke of greater facilitation for yatris going to the Mansarovar Yatra and Prime Minister suggested a number of ideas on the connection between state of Tamil Nadu and the Fujian province of China. pic.twitter.com/AlH9wMadxa

— ANI (@ANI) October 12, 2019

Gokhale said President Xi spoke of greater facilitation for yatris going to the Mansarovar Yatra and Prime Minister suggested a number of ideas on the connection between state of Tamil Nadu and the Fujian province of China.