Clad in Tamil Nadu’s traditional attire, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was all smiles as he received Chinese President Xi Jinping at Mamallapuram near Chennai. Dressed in a cream coloured dhothi, a half sleeve white shirt and a long angavasthram on his left shoulder, Modi welcomed Xi at Arjuna’s Penance and personally took him on a tour around the UNESCO world heritage site.
Modi explained to Xi the cultural importance of the monuments like Arjuna’s Penance, Krishna's Butterball and Pancha Rathas. The two leaders took a stroll in the site enjoying the architectural marvel before sitting for a tender coconut near the Pancha Rathas. Later, both Modi and Xi got introduced to each of their delegates.
Xi, who arrived in Chennai and drove down to Mamallapuram with his retinue, was also casually dressed in a white shirt and black trousers. Before going for the special dinner at the shore temple, the two leaders watched a cultural performance by Kalakshetra foundation.
The second informal summit between Modi and Xi is likely to address a range of issues including trade, boundary disputes, multilateral cooperation and the issue of Kashmir, which will shape the relationship between the two countries. As the two leaders sit down for dinner on Friday, sources say, there might not be any discussion on these topics. But during the meeting scheduled for Saturday, sources say, trade issues, boundary disputes and multilateral cooperation will come up.
The second summit is being held in Chennai 18 months after the first summit at Wuhan. In fact, China has not held any such informal summit with any other international leader so far. The purpose of the meeting is to take forward the Wuhan consensus on broadening the understanding—like how the two countries toned down the boundary dispute which had flared up during the Doklam crisis.
Also, the two countries came closer on several international fora like the WTO, climate change meet and the free trade agreement of the ASEAN countries. The Wuhan summit also saw a deeper understanding of the trade issues between the two countries. After the Wuahn summit in April 2018, China has started importing rice and sugar from India following a request from Modi. However, the trade issues are still tilted towards China.
The Mamallapuram summit could also witness a progress in the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar corridor. The proposed mega corridor is outside the ambit of China’s road initiative. Also, a discussion on the boundary dispute between the two countries is expected to pave way for the launch of Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Earlier, as he landed in Chennai, Modi tweeted saying, “Landed in Chennai. I am happy to be in the great land of Tamil Nadu, known for its wonderful culture and hospitality. It is gladdening that Tamil Nadu will host President Xi Jinping. May this informal summit further strengthen ties between India and China.” Modi tweeted this message in English, Tamil and Mandarin.
