Modi, Xi strive to save thaw, agree to fight terror

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday agreed to work together to deal with the “common challenge” of radicalization and terrorism, as the two sides strived to save the thaw in the relations from the cold vibes over Kashmir.

Modi took Xi around for a tour to the World Heritage Sites in the ancient port city of Tamil Nadu soon after Chinese President arrived to hold the second “informal summit” with him.

Beijing’s repeated statements over the past few weeks echoing Islamabad and opposing New Delhi’s recent moves on Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) struck jarring notes to the bonhomie that marked the relations between the two nations for almost one-and-a-half years after Modi and Xi held the first “informal summit” at Wuhan in central China in April 2018.

Yet the two leaders on Friday sipped coconut water together, held each other’s hands up and posed for cameras to send across the message that the “personal rapport” developed between them over the 17 meetings since 2014 remained intact.

Prime Minister and Chinese President later had a one-to-one discussion over dinner, which was expected to be over by around 8-00 p.m. but went on till 10:00 p.m. They will meet again on Saturday – first in a one-to-one format, and then again leading the respective delegations of the two countries.

“Both leaders (Prime Minister and Chinese President) had a general sense that terrorism was a common challenge,” Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale told journalists late at night on Friday. “They agreed to work together to see that radicalization, terrorism did not affect the fabric of our multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-religious societies”.

China has been opposing Modi Government's August 5 decisions on J&K – not only to stand by its “iron brother” Pakistan, but also because it was concerned over the implication of the moves on its protracted boundary dispute with India.

Beijing perceived New Delhi's decisions on J&K as “unilateral” moves by Modi Government to change the status quo in the disputed territory and strengthen its claim – not only on areas of Kashmir under occupation of Pakistan, but also on 5180 sq. kms of areas ceded by Pakistan to China in 1963 as well as on Aksai Chin – a disputed territory between India and China.

Foreign Secretary did not reveal if the issue of J&K came up during discussion between Prime Minister and Chinese President on Friday.

India has been conveying to China over the past few weeks that stripping J&K of its “special status” and reorganizing the state into two Union Territories were its “sovereign decisions”.

New Delhi has been arguing that Islamabad was opposing Modi Government's recent decisions on J&K as they “cut the very ground from under the feet of Pakistan” and created “obstacles” for the neighbouring country in continuing “sponsorship of cross border terrorism” against India.