1-on-1 talks, boat ride and lunch: PM Narendra Modi's schedule with China's Xi Jinping on Day 2 of informal summit

Wuhan: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to hold one-on-one talks with President Xi Jinping in the central Chinese city of Wuhan on Saturday.  

The two leaders will begin their day with a walk around the East Lake and then go for a ride in a double-decker boat and end their first-ever informal summit with a one-on-one lunch.

During their informal meeting on Friday, the two leaders hailed the centuries-old Sino-India ties and resolved to work together for peace and stability in the region.

PM Modi told Jinping that the two countries have a "big opportunity" to work together for the benefit of their people and the world.

During his delegation-level talks as part of an unprecedented informal summit with President Xi, Modi said such informal summits should become a tradition between the two countries.

"I'll be happy if, in 2019, we can have such informal summit in India," Modi told Xi.

Modi said India and China have the responsibility to work for 40 percent of the world population and the two sides have a big opportunity to work together for the benefit of their people and the world.

The summit in Wuhan - the favourite holiday spot of revolutionary Chinese leader Mao Zedong - is being seen as an effort by India and China to rebuild trust and improve ties that were hit by the 73-day-long Dokalam standoff last year.

Modi recalled that during the 2000 years of history, India and China together provided momentum and strength to the world economy and dominated it for around 1600 years. 

"The two countries together constituted for about 50 percent of the world economy and another 50 percent was shared by rest of the world for 1600 years," the Prime Minister said.

Modi also said the people of India felt proud that President Xi has twice received him out of the capital.

"I'm perhaps the first Prime Minister of India, for whom, you have come out of the capital (Beijing) twice to receive me," Modi said, referring to his visit to Xi'an - the hometown of President Xi in 2015.

Warm and firm handshake! PM @narendramodi met with President Xi of China at the East Lake Guest House in Wuhan. PM said that people of India are proud that Chinese President Xi has gone out of his way to receive him twice out of the capital city of Beijing. pic.twitter.com/y2GlujcbLG — Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) April 27, 2018

Modi also underscored the importance of people-to-people contact through STRENGTH : S-Spirituality; T-Tradition, Trade and Technology; R-Relationship; E-Entertainment (Movies, Art, Dances etc.); N-Nature conservation; G-Games; T-Tourism and H- Health and Healing.

On his part, President Xi said the two countries have established a closer partnership and made positive progress in recent years.

"In the past five years, we have achieved a lot. We have met each other on many occasions," he said.

"Our two countries have established closer partnership and cooperation. We have made positive progress. India and China have a combined population of 2.6 billion which provides enormous potential for development. The influence of our two countries is steadily rising in the region and the world," Xi told Modi.

Xi said he believes in future and the two leaders could meet in a format like this from time to time. 

"I look forward to in-depth communication with Your Excellency, and ensure we can build common understanding and help to take the China-India relationship to the next level," he said, ahead of their one-on-one dinner at a state guest house by the famous East Lake.

The delegation talks which apparently focussed on some of the most contentious issues, lasted for over two hours overshooting scheduled half an hour time, hinting the seriousness of the discussions, officials said.

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale and Indian envoy to China Gautam Bambawale were also present in the meeting.

Xi headed a high-powered delegation which included Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee Ding Xuexiang, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Yang Jiechi and State Councillor and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi.

This is fourth visit of Modi to China after he came to power in 2014.

He is again due to visit China to take part in the SCO summit to be held at Qingdao city on June 9-10.

(With PTI inputs)