CHENNAI: Vanakkam, Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday, ahead of the two-hour closed-door meeting between the two State leaders. Measures to boost trade, partnerships in technology, and bilateral relationship were discussed at the meeting.
A significant outcome, as far as Tamil Nadu is concerned, is that it got a new sister in China. In a bid to boost commercial linkages and people-to-people contacts between the two Asian economic powers, the Fujian Province was named sister State of Tamil Nadu. The possibility of establishing an academy to study the links between Fujian and Mamallapuram is being explored, said foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale.
The two leaders also, reportedly, explored the possibility of conducting research on the maritime links between China and India, in view of the extensive contacts between the two countries for over centuries. The rationale behind the partnership, sources said, is the discovery of a Tamil inscription in Quanzhou, an ancient port city in Fujian Province, believed to be from the 12th century.
The inscription is said to contain information about a temple highlighting the connect between the communities in Tamil Nadu and China. Hundreds of sculptures excavated from Quanzhou, in the middle of last century, is proof that Tamil sea traders made the city an important port-of-call about a thousand years ago.
Year of partnership
Further, to boost ties between the two nations, Modi and Xi decided to designate 2020 as the Year of India-China Cultural and People to People Exchanges. Next year China will celebrate its 70th year and India its 75th year of becoming republic.
“The leaders are of the view that the positive direction of ties have opened up possibilities for taking bilateral relations to greater heights,” Gokhale said.
“Both the leaders agreed that the 70th anniversary of the establishment of India-China relations in 2020 will be fully utilized to deepen exchanges at all levels including between their respective legislatures, political parties, cultural and youth organizations and militaries,” said Gokhale.
He said 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. He said 35 activities will be hosted by India and 35 by China. Gokhale said both the leaders decided to have at least one event each week. He said the Prime Minister also proposed that greater emphasis should be given to enhance tourism.
Agreement on trade
Modi and Xi stressed the need to support and strengthen the ‘rules-based multilateral trading system’, at a time when globally agreed trade practices and norms are being selectively questioned. “Both the leaders felt India and China have a common interest in preserving and advancing a rules-based and inclusive international order, including through reforms that reflect the new realities of the 21st Century,” said Gokhale.
The two leaders, he said, also underscored the importance of efforts being made in their respective countries to address global developmental challenges, including climate change and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The foreign secretary said that the two leaders did not discuss Kashmir and reiterated that India is clear that it is an internal affair.
The Foreign Secretary also said the two leaders agreed that radicalization is of mutual concern but there was no specific discussion on terror. “As countries that are large and diverse, they recognized the importance of continuing to make joint efforts to ensure that the international community strengthens the framework against training, financing and supporting terrorist groups throughout the world and on a non-discriminatory basis,” said Gokhale. He also said Xi spoke about Pakistan as its Prime Minister Imran Khan had recently visited China but refused to divulge further details.
Modi accepts Xi’s invitation for third informal summit
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has accepted the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit China for a third informal summit next year. “Prime Minister Modi and President Xi also appraised the practice of informal summits in a positive light as providing an important opportunity to deepen dialogue and to promote mutual understanding at the Leaders’ level in line with the ‘Wuhan Spirit’ and the ‘Chennai Connect’,” Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale on Saturday said. “They agreed to continue this practice in the future. President Xi invited Prime Minister Modi to visit China for the 3rd informal summit. Prime Minister Modi has accepted the invitation.”