Exclusive: President Xi Jinping, PM Modi Inspirations For Stronger India-China Relationship

Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit India for an informal summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Chennai from October 11-12. The summit will be held in the coastal town of Mamallapuram. The forthcoming Informal Summit will provide an opportunity for the two leaders to continue their discussions on overarching issues of bilateral, regional and global importance.

In an exclusive chat with News Nation's Fayiq Wani, Yang Yifeng and Akhil Parashar of China Media Group spoke about the upcoming meeting between the Indian Prime Minister and Chinese President Xi Jinping on October 11.

Talking about the progress in talks since the first Informal Summit between the two leaders in Buhan last year, Parashar said that these meeting have been a great way of taking the relationship forward. He added that the two leaders were the source of inspiration for the progress in the Sino-India relationship.

He added that an informal meet suggests the levels of comfort these two leaders have with each other. An informal meet means that any topic can be openly discussed between the leaders.

On the agenda of the meeting, Parashar said that such informal summits don't have a fixed agenda. Any topic may come up for discussion. President Jinping and PM Modi may also decide to avoid contentious issues and talk about areas where progress can be easily made. The two nations are superpowers and world leaders. The summit may see discussions on not only economic but also social issues of mutual support.

Talking about the issue of Doklam, they said that while it has been a longstanding and historical issue, both India and China are interested in solving it via dialogue. Not a single bullet has been fired over the Doklam issue, even during the 72-day standoff. Parashar expressed hope that both leaders will resolved this issue via talks.

They also talked about how India and China trade relations have grown manyfolds in the recent years. They also highlighted that the recent trade-war between China and the United States may be a good opportunity for India to increase trade relations with its neighbour.

Yifeng and Parashar also expressed hope that China will be able iron out the differences between the two nations over issues such as 'one belt one road' or influence in the Indian ocean during these talks.

Here's the full interview: