The two day-long summit level informal talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded at Mahabalipuram near Chennai on Saturday on a positive note.
As expected there was nothing surprising in the press release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs after the meetings were concluded and the leaders of both the countries bade farewell to each other and left for New Delhi and Beijing respectively. There is no mention about Kashmir in the release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs after the conclusion of the talks.
The release said that both the countries agreed to continue the relationship to a new level of cooperation and coexisting in all spheres by ironing out differences in a constructive way. India and China will continue to work together for open and inclusive trade arrangements that will benefit all countries.
“The two leaders had an in-depth exchange of views in a friendly atmosphere on overarching, long-term and strategic issues of global and regional importance. They also shared their respective approaches towards national development. They evaluated the direction of bilateral relations in a positive light and discussed how India-China bilateral interaction can be deepened to reflect the growing role of both countries on the global stage,” said the release.
Within minutes of the conclusion of the meeting with President Xi, Prime Minister Modi tweeted: “ Discussions continued with President Xi Jinping at Mamallapuram. We’ve been having productive deliberations on further improving India—China relations.”
What is significant in the release issued by the MEA is the absence of any direct reference to Kashmir. The release said that the two Leaders exchanged views on outstanding issues, including on the boundary question. “They have welcomed the work of the Special Representatives and urged them to continue their efforts to arrive at a mutually-agreed framework for a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement based on Political Parameters and Guiding Principles that were agreed by the two sides in 2005. They reiterated their understanding that efforts will continue to be made to ensure peace and tranquility in the border areas, and that both sides will continue to work on additional Confidence Building Measures in pursuit of this objective,” said the release.
As part of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and China, both the countries have agreed to ‘designate 2020 as Year of India-China Cultural and People to People Exchanges’.
The occasion will be fully utilized to deepen exchanges at all levels including between their respective legislatures, political parties, cultural and youth organizations and militaries. To celebrate the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations the two countries will organize 70 activities including a conference on a ship voyage that will trace the historical connect between the two civilizations, said the release.
As a soap to people in Tamil Nadu, the two leaders agreed to establish sister-state relations between Tamil Nadu and Fujian Province in China. Both the sides will also explore the possibility of establishing an academy to study links between Mahabalipuram and Fujian province on the lines of the experience between Ajanta and Dunhuang and conducting research on maritime links between China and India in view of our extensive contacts over the centuries.
