Mamallapuram Summit Day 2: Xi reaches venue for talks with Modi

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday reached the Taj Fisherman's Cove Resort and Spa for the second day of the informal summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The two leaders are slated to hold one-on-one as well as delegation-level talks in the historic coastal city today.

They are scheduled to meet at the Tanjo Hall at the resort for the second round of their informal talks, taking forward the Wuhan spirit forged during the first such meeting between the two in the Chinese city in April last year.

Today's meeting will focus on international and regional issues, as per Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale. The two sides will also issue separate statements of the outcomes of the two-day informal summit between Prime Minister Modi and President Xi.

 

The focus of the meeting will be on finding ways to improve people-to-people contact, enhancing trade and on how to maintain peace and tranquillity along the 3,500-kilometre-long India-China border.

Prime Minister Modi will also host a lunch for President Xi, following which the Chinese leader will proceed to Chennai airport from where he will depart for a two-day state visit to Nepal.

Security in the state capital has been beefed up ahead of the talks and security agencies have also been put on high alert.

On Friday, Xi and Modi spent five hours of "quality time" and held discussions on a wide range of issues including trade between the two countries and ways to counter radicalisation and terrorism.

The camaraderie shared between the two leaders was on full display as Modi took the visiting Chinese dignitary on a tour of UNESCO World Heritage Sites like Arjuna's Penance, Krishna's Butter Ball and the Shore Temple in Mamallapuram, before settling down for a colourful cultural performance which showcased the rich cultural heritage of India.

After the show at the sea-facing Shore Temple, Modi hosted a special dinner for Xi. The one-on-one discussion over dinner lasted for about 150 minutes, Gokhale added during a special briefing here.