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Narendra Modi urges to resolve border dispute as Chinese President's Xi Jinping invites Modi to China

Written By DNA Web Team | Updated: Sep 18, 2014, 03:00 PM IST

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in India on Wednesday on a three-day visit and for the first time, it is not New Delhi but Gujarat that will host the head of a state. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already arrived in Ahmedabad, and preparations are on in full swing.  The mandate is clear: avoid power cuts, tuck in shirts, and have shoes polished. In other words, look every bit professional and an emerging superpower, an impression Modi would want to create in front of the Chinese head of state. For India, it would also meaning looking for newer opportunities in trade and infrastructrue.

The meeting with the Chinese President comes in between Narendra Modi's visit to Japan and his visit to the United States next week. The clear agenda of the talks would include possibilities of investment and opening trade further for each other. But none of the heads would be able to avoid the border disputes between the two nations. India has already confirmed that the border issues will be discussed in the "interests and concerns" of the two countries with bearing on the ties including the boundary dispute.

14:20 IST Thursday, 18 September 2014

Narendra Modi urges to resolve border dispute as Xi Jinping invites Modi to China

Addressing the joint conference, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "Various agreements are being exchanged between China and India in the presence of President Xi Jinping. I am glad that President Xi Jinping has come to India within months of our Government taking office"

Expressing a need of mutual trust for cordial relations, he said, "It is important to have mutual trust and peace at the border to realise the full potential of the relationship between India and China. All issues including economic, political and security discussed over the last two days. We decided to step up engagement in diverse areas." Read more

12:40 IST Thursday, 18 September 2014

Narendra Modi, Xi Jinping hold talks, India conveys concern over incursions
 
Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday held talks during which the Indian side conveyed its concerns over Chinese incursions as the two sides discussed all "substantive issues" having bearing on bilateral ties. Modi and Xi held talks in restricted format and then in delegation level during which the two leaders also focused on cooperation in key areas of trade and investment. Read more

Thursday, 18 September 2014

China, India should take strategic partnership to higher level: Chinese President Xi Jinping

Addressing the media at the ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Chinese President Xi Jinping said, "This is my first visit as the President of China. I will focus on three goals and the first important goal is to carry forward our friendship." 

He further said, "We admire and respect each other’s civilisations. We have common development goals and its important that we deepen the alignment of our development strate gies. India and China can create opportunities for the world. We need to take our strategic partnership to higher levels." Read more

12:30 IST Thursday, 18 September 2014

China’s first lady visits Tagore International School

The first lady of China, Peng Liyuan on Thursday visited Tagore International School, here in Vasant Vihar and witnessed various cultural programmes performed by the school students. The Chinese President’s wife was visibly delighted to witness the cultural acts performed by the students showcasing various dance and art forms, highlighting the cultural ethos of India. Later, she left her impression by scripting a message for students in Chinese calligraphy.

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11:30 IST Thursday, 18 September 2014

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets Sushma Swaraj

Chinese President Xi Jinping met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in New Delhi on Thursday. The External Affairs Minister welcomed the Chinese President by saying, “Ge xia, wo hen huanying nin dao yindu lai - I extend a very warm welcome to you in India.”

10:45 IST Thursday, 18 September 2014

Tibetan Youth Congress protest continues in Delhi, many detained

Members of the Tibetan Youth Congress continued their protest today outside the Hotel Taj Palace here, against Chinese President Xi Jinping's three- day visit to India on Thursday. Tibetan activists also protested near Dhaula Kuan, with one man climbing a pole with a Free Tibet flag tied to his waist, was detained by the police. Read more

10:30 IST Thursday, 18 September 2014

PM Narendra Modi has raised issue of Chinese incursions with President Xi Jinping, says MEA

Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the issue of Chinese incursions with the visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping during their meeting last night. The issue will be further raised by the Indian side today when the two leaders meet for a summit meeting, MEA spokesperson said. "The summit meetings are occasion for leaders to raise all substantive issues having bearing on bilateral ties, The Prime Minister took the opportunity to raise the issue last night with the visiting dignitary," MEA spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said. The matter will be further discussed when the leaders hold talks in restricted and delegation level. Read more

10:25 IST Thursday, 18 September 2014

Chinese President Xi Jinping receives Guard of Honour at President House; visits Rajghat

Chinese President Xi Jinping received a Guard of Honour on Thursday in the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhawan, on the second day of his three-day state visit to India. President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and other senior cabinet members were also present at the ceremony. He also visited Rajghat and paid homage at the memorial dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi,where he laid a wreath along with floral tributes with his wife, Peng Liyuan. Read more

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Chinese President Xi Jinping meets PM Narendra Modi and senior ministers of his cabinet

9:37 IST Thursday, 18 September 2014

Chinese President Xi Jinping receives a guard of honor at the President House 

9:36 IST Thursday, 18 September 2014

Ceremonial Reception of H.E. Mr. Xi Jinping President of People's Republic of China at Rashtrapati Bhavan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at President House for ceremonial reception for the Chinese President  Xi Jinping.

India-China sign 3 pacts within hours of Xi Jinping's arrival to develop sister cities Ahmedabad and Guangzhou

India and China today inked three pacts here, hours within the arrival of Chinese President Xi Jinping on a three-day visit to India during which the two countries will focus on boosting trade and investments, besides discussing substantive issues including the contentious border dispute.

Xi, accompanied by his wife Peng Liyuan and a delegation of senior party and government officials, was received by Gujarat Governor O P Kohli and Chief Minister Anandiben Patel and other senior state Cabinet ministers and accorded a grand welcome with various folk artists performing at the airport.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the visiting dignitary and his wife at the entrance of the Hyatt Hotel after which the Prime Minister showed them an exhibition of various Buddhist artifacts and slides.

Thereafter, the two leaders had a brief meeting before heading for the signing-in ceremony of the pacts which are aimed at giving boost to Chinese investments here.

The agreements include sister city pact between Guangzhou in China and Ahmedabad and setting up of an industrial park in the state.

Keen to boost its trade ties with India, the Chinese side has already indicated that it will pledge to invest billions of dollars in India's railway, manufacturing and infrastructure projects during the Xi's visit, the third by any Chinese President to India.

Below is the full report:

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Ahmedabad on Wednesday on a three-day visit to India.

He was received by Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel and her Cabinet colleagues at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport here.

President Xi, who is accompanied by his wife Peng Liyuan, was given a traditional welcome on his arrival here.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will welcome him in Vastrapur, after which, both leaders will hold talks.
It is expected that both sides will sign three memoranda of understanding (MoUs). Of them, two are for relations between Guangdong and Gujarat and Guangzhou and the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. The third MoU is related to cooperation in the industrial sector.

President Jinping's three-day visit is expected to focus largely be on ramping up bilateral trade and investment, besides addressing the contentious border issue between the two Asian giants.

India expects that the visit will address the "interests and concerns" of both the countries and that "all substantive" issues having bearing on the ties including the boundary dispute will be discussed.

Keen to boost its trade ties with India, the Chinese side has already indicated that it will pledge to invest billions of dollars in India's railway, manufacturing and infrastructure projects during the Xi Jinping's visit, the third by any Chinese President to India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said India will seek greater engagement with China, but at the same time, will also look for progress on "issues of concern" saying their resolution will transform the atmosphere in the relations. 

Watch the video below: PM Modi receives Jinping: 

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Read: China-India talks: Border rows, railways likely topics during Xi Jinping's visit

This comes in the midst of the District Magistrate of Leh, Simrandeep Singh Gill, confirming reports of Chinese incursions into Indian territory. "It's been a week that China is protesting against one NREGA irrigation canal being constructed in Demchok," Gill said. "For the past week, the Chinese Army is facing off our army, their civilians are facing off our civilians. This time Chinese civilians have come to oppose the work on the dam and are showing us banners. Situation remains tense," Gill added.

Below are some pointers from the event:

*President Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan, who were welcomed by Chief Minister Anandiben Patel witnessed traditional Gujarati dance. 

*Narendra Modi and President Xi will share a moonlight dinner tonight in a Swiss luxury tent on the banks of the river Sabarmati.

*Jinping will be treated to a 150-dish Gujarati banquet and will also join Modi on a walk down the riverfront.

*The decades-old border conflict is expected to figure in talks between PM Modi and Xi in Delhi.

*Both Jinping and Modi are are expected to sign pacts on infrastructure, railways and a sister city agreement between Ahmedabad and China's Guangdong province.

*On Tuesday, Modi had said the relationship between the two countries "goes beyond plain arithmetic". 

15:00 IST Wednesday, 17 September 2014

Gujarat CM Anandiben Patel receives Chinese President Xi Jinping

14:50 IST Wednesday, 17 September 2014

 Chinese President Xi Jinping gets 'Guard of Honour' given to at Ahmedabad airportl.

14:40 IST Wednesday, 17 September 2014

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Ahmedabad for his three day tour. He was recieved in the airport by Gujarat CM Anandiben Patel. A top delegation of 50 businessmen are accompanying him in this tour. This is the first visit to India by a Chinese President since 2006. 

What casts further a shadow on the visit is India's oil pact with Vietnam, which enables ONGC to explore two more oil wells in the waters of the disputed South China Sea. The agreement was signed during President Pranab Mukherjee's ongoing visit to Vietnam which China has already raised objections to.

India and China do share much of their history and have always had strong cultural ties with each other. Summarising the possibilities of Sino-India bilateral ties and moving ahead as "Inch (India and China) towards Miles (Millennium of Exceptional Synergy)", Modi said on Tuesday, "Every inch we cover can rewrite the history of humanity and every mile we cross will go a long way in making this planet a better place." Hoping that together India and China cover several such miles, Modi said these miles will take not only the two nations forward but also all of Asia and humankind on the path of progress and harmony.

However, various commentators have warned not to expect radical outcomes from the visit. Most of the courtsey exchanges and comments about each other have been termed meaningless.

Jaideep Prabhu wrote, "If there is anything that can be foretold about the summit with certainty, it is that the China hawks in India will be sorely disappointed. Modi is far more pragmatic than his supporters or detractors give him credit for and realises that India is a pygmy compared to Chinese economic – and consequently military and diplomatic – wherewithal. The meeting between Modi and Xi will not see Delhi handing Beijing ultimatums on Chinese-occupied Kashmir or China's activities in Gilgit-Baltistan."

Here are some facts about India-China relations and issues likely to come up for discussion:

BORDER DISPUTE
China beat India in a brief border war in 1962 and relations have remained sour over their still-disputed 3,500-km (2,200-mile) frontier. India has reported a rise in incursions by Chinese troops in recent years, charges China denies. Modi is expected to take a tougher stance with neighbouring countries, including China. In the first such signal, Modi's government eased restrictions on building roads and military facilities along the border to boost defence preparedness and close the gap on China's superior transport network.

VISAS
China often refuses to stamp visas on Indian passports from disputed territories and instead staples them to the page, a practice that infuriates India.

China has refused to issue visas to Indians from Arunachal Pradesh state, where the two countries fought the 1962 war, saying they do not need permission to travel to China. China claims the whole of Arunachal Pradesh, which it calls "South Tibet".

In 2012, India started stamping its own map on visas it issues to holders of new Chinese passports that contain a map depicting disputed territory within China's borders. The visa issue is likely to be on the agenda during Xi's visit.

TRADE TIES
China is India's largest trading partner, with two-way trade at about $66 billion last year. However, $51 billion of that came from Chinese exports. India hopes new investments from China will partly help offset its trade deficit. China plans to invest about $7 billion in two industrial parks in western India, media reported this month. India will also ask its neighbour to set up manufacturing units for exports as it seeks to revive its economy,

RAILWAYS
India has the world's fourth-longest rail network but has added only 11,000 km of track since independence in 1947. China, in comparison, added 14,000 km of track in the five years to 2011. China is expected to pledge billions of dollars of investment in India's rail network that can help reform the now-decrepit British-built system.

NUCLEAR TIES
In 2013, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said the two countries would cooperate in civil nuclear energy. Leaders of the two energy-starved countries may discuss the possibility of a civil nuclear cooperation agreement, Indian officials said.

China has committed $6.5 billion to finance the construction of a major nuclear power project in Karachi, the financial hub of neighbouring Pakistan, India's traditional foe. But Beijing might make a push to supply India with its new-generation reactors, The Hindu newspaper said.

With agency inputs