Modi and Xi discuss ways to further strengthen ties in Qingdao : The Tribune India

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Modi and Xi discuss ways to further strengthen ties in Qingdao

QINGDAO (CHINA): Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday held a warm and forward looking meeting here to further strengthen the positive momentum in the bilateral relationship after their informal summit in Wuhan.

Modi and Xi discuss ways to further strengthen ties in Qingdao

Prime Minister Narendra Modi meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Qingdao. @PIB_India/Twitter



Qingdao, June 9

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday held a warm and forward looking meeting here to further strengthen the positive momentum in the bilateral relationship after their informal summit in Wuhan. 

The meeting between the leaders of two Asian powers on the sidelines of the SCO summit came nearly six weeks after they held an informal summit in the Chinese city of Wuhan with an aim to solidify ties in various areas and ensuring better coordination between the border guarding forces of the two countries after the Doklam standoff last year.

Modi arrived here in the afternoon on a two-day visit to attend the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

Before their meeting, the two leaders had a warm handshake and posed for photographs.

In his opening remarks, Modi said that strong and stable relations between India and China could inspire a stable and peaceful world.

He also recalled his informal summit with Xi in Wuhan.

"Further strengthening the positive momentum in the bilateral relationship generated at the Wuhan Informal Summit. PM Narendra Modi had a warm and forward looking meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the SCO Summit," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

Modi and Xi also took stock of the implementation of the decisions taken at their informal summit in Wuhan on April 27-28.

After their talks in Wuhan, Modi and Xi had decided to issue "strategic guidance" to their militaries to strengthen communications to build trust and understanding as part of efforts to avoid a Doklam-like situation in the future.

The two leaders had also discussed ways to give impetus to their economic ties as well as "people-to-people" relations.

Second informal summit 

The two leaders had their first informal summit in the Chinese city of Wuhan on April 27-28 to solidify the relationship in a broad spectrum of areas and ensuring better coordination between the border guarding forces of the two countries after the Dokalam standoff.

Gokhale said that one of the important outcomes of Saturday’s meeting was that the Chinese side conveyed that they have accepted the Prime Minister Modi's invitation to President Xi to have a similar informal summit in India in 2019.

He said that the date for the informal meeting has not been decided.

Modi arrived in the picturesque coastal city of China's Shandong province on a two-day visit to attend the annual summit of the SCO.

The ties between the two countries had nose-dived following the Doklam standoff.

Troops of India and China were locked in the 73-day standoff in Doklam since June 16 after the Indian side stopped the construction of a road by the Chinese Army in the disputed area. Bhutan and China have a dispute over Doklam. The face-off had ended on August 28.

However, there have been concerted efforts by both sides to reset ties leaving behind the Doklam episode.

Relations between India and China had also witnessed a downturn owing to differences over a series of issues including China blocking India's move to get Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar banned by the UN, its opposition to India's bid for NSG membership and China's Belt and Road Initiative.

Modi is expected to hold nearly half a dozen bilateral meetings with leaders of other SCO countries.

It is for the first time the Indian prime minister will be attending the SCO Summit after India along with Pakistan became full-fledged members of the grouping, which has been increasingly seen as a counter to NATO.

The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. PTI/TNS

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