Amid strained ties, PM Modi to visit China on April 27, hold talks with Xi Jinping

To improve the strained ties between the South Asian powers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold an informal summit from April 27 to 28 in China.

In a joint press briefing with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Sunday announced that Modi would visit the central Chinese city Wuhan at the invitation of President Xi.

According to the sources, Modi and XI will try to work out a new paradigm for the bilateral ties bogged down with a host of border disputes.

This will be the 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.

Swaraj is in China to take part in the two-day meeting of Foreign Ministers of the eight-nation Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) for the first time.

“On behalf of the Chinese side, I once again offer congratulations to India becoming a member of SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation)) & express a warm welcome to the minister for representing India for the 1st time in SCO foreign ministers meeting,” Yi said.

China agrees to share data on Sutlej and Brahmaputra rivers in 2018

Following the months-long Doklam standoff, China had stopped sharing water data on Sutlej and Brahmaputra rivers.

But now the country has once again confirmed data sharing on both Sutlej and Brahmaputra rivers in 2018.

“China has confirmed data sharing on Sutlej and Brahmaputra rivers in 2018. As it directly affects lives of people living there we welcome this,” Swaraj said.

The dragon has also agreed to resume the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra through Nathu La pass in 2018.

“We (India-China) agreed to work together on issues like terrorism, climate change, sustainable development, global healthcare etc,” EAM Swaraj said.

(With inputs from agencies)