Committed to taking India-China relationship forward: Modi to Xi Jinping

Tianjin: The bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and China's President Xi Jinping at Tianjin is currently underway, as per a report by ANI.

The two leaders are meeting for the first time in 10 months.

In his televised opening remarks, Modi said the welfare of 2.8 billion people is linked to bilateral cooperation between India and China.

"An agreement has been reached between our Special Representatives regarding border management. Kailash Mansarovar Yatra has been resumed. Direct flights between the two countries are also being resumed. The interests of 2.8 billion people of both countries are linked to our cooperation. This will also pave the way for the welfare of the entire humanity. We are committed to taking our relations forward on the basis of mutual trust, respect and sensitivity," Modi said in the meeting, as per ANI.

There was consent between our Special Representatives on border management, he said.

India and China have a framework called the Special Representatives on the boundary question to address issues relating to the border.

The prime minister also congratulated Xi on China's successful presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

The meeting assumes significance in view of a sudden downturn in India-US ties triggered by Washington’s policies on trade and tariffs.

The two leaders last met in October in Kazan, Russia, on the sidelines of the BRICS summit.

Before leaving for India on Monday, Modi is also expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The SCO summit will begin with an official banquet hosted by Xi on Sunday.

Twenty foreign leaders are attending the SCO Plus summit being organised by China, which is this year's rotating chair of the 10-member bloc comprising Russia, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Belarus and China.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is also taking part in the summit. Leaders who arrived here included Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, his Nepalese counterpart K P Sharma Oli and Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu. The leaders’ summit will be held on Monday.

This summit, the largest so far by the SCO, will be one of the most important head-of-state and home-ground diplomacy events in China this year, China's Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Bin had said earlier.

In his keynote speech at the summit, Xi will elaborate on China's new vision and propositions for the SCO in carrying forward the "Shanghai Spirit", shouldering the mission of the times and responding to people's expectations, he said.

Most of the leaders are expected to stay beyond the two-day summit to witness China's largest military parade to be held in Beijing on September 3 to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

With PTI inputs