PM Modi, Xi focused on challenges, including trade volume, trade value in context of trade deficit: Vijay Gokhale

Mamallapuram: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping seem to have struck a chord on the first day of their second informal summit. The leaders extended their informal talks during dinner and spent almost 5 hours together. The formal meetings are lined up for Saturday.

The atmospherics at this heritage site appeared to indicate that Xi gave a patient hearing to his host at their one-on-one meeting accompanied only by interpreters. The one-on-one dinner, scheduled to end at 8 pm, ended only around 10 pm as the two leaders remained engaged on a host of issues, including boundary, trade, counter-terrorism and geopolitics.

In a late night briefing, foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale said the dinner meeting lasted for 150 minutes and overall the two leaders spent five hours together. They discussed their respective national vision and governance initiatives. They focused on challenges, including trade volume and trade value in the context of trade deficit, he said. Modi and Xi are understood to have spoken at length about counter-terror initiatives and deradicalisation measures amid prevailing challenges faced by both the countries. This is important ahead of the FATF meet in Paris between October 13 and 18. It will decide whether Pakistan will be blacklisted or it will continue in the Grey List.


Pakistan has attempted to further strengthen its narrative ahead of the summit through visits of both premier Imran Khan and its Army chief to Beijing earlier this week. Xi and his regime signaled full support to their all-weather friend in what cast a shadow ahead of the presidential trip. There is disquiet in Delhi over repeated assertions by the Chinese foreign ministry on Kashmir at Pakistan’s behest since August 6.

Reacting to Chinese statements during Khan’s trip, India made it clear that Kashmir was an internal matter. It is understood that Modi assured Xi that granting Union territory status to Ladakh would not adversely impact LAC even as he sought better understanding from Xi on India’s concerns over CPEC and Pakistan’s support to terrorism against India.