In Qingdao, China's Xi Jinping greets PM Narendra Modi with a handshake and smile ahead of SCO Summit

BEIJING: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who arrived in the Chinese port city of Qingdao on Saturday, was given a rousing welcome by Chinese President Xi Jinping ahead of the annual Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit here.

According to reports, the two leaders exchanged pleasantries and greeted each other with a warm handshake and smile. 

Qingdao: Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping. The two leaders also held a bilateral meeting. #China pic.twitter.com/fVGC0IFiAD — ANI (@ANI) June 9, 2018

Later, MEA spokerperson Raveesh Kumar too shared some pictures of PM Modi-Xi engagement in Qingdao.

Further strengthening the positive momentum in the bilateral relationship generated at the #Wuhan Informal Summit, PM @naredramodi had a warm and forward looking meeting with Chinese President #XiJinping on the sidelines of the SCO Summit. #IndiainSCO #SCOSummit pic.twitter.com/dZ9dZzdNgl — Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) June 9, 2018

PM Modi and Xi are due to hold a one-to-one interaction later during which they are expected to take stock of the progress in the implementation of decisions they had taken at their first informal summit in Wuhan.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi met General Secretary of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Rashid Alimov. PM Modi might also meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, with whom he had an informal meet in Sochi last month.

Besides PM Modi, several leaders from the China-led Eurasian bloc have come to attend the annual Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit here which will explore concrete ways to bolster cooperation in the fight against terrorism, extremism and radicalisation besides deliberating on pressing global issues.

Modi and Xi are expected to explore ways to deepen ties in areas of trade and investment besides reviewing the overall bilateral cooperation.

Both PM Modi and Xi earlier held an informal summit in the central Chinese city of Wuhan during which they exchanged views on solidifying the relationship between the two Asian powers.

Modi and Xi are likely to take stock of progress in the implementation of decisions they had taken at the Wuhan informal summit, official sources said.

Modi is expected to hold nearly half a dozen bilateral meetings with leaders of other SCO countries.

The SCO summit will discuss the regional security and the issue of terrorism with PM Modi likely to rake up terror emanating from Pakistan. One of the key highlights of the summit will be Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's presence. He was invited by China to attend the forum. This assumes significance as the US has junked the Iran nuclear deal, which China has vowed to salvage.

It is for the first time the Prime Minister will be attending the SCO Summit after India along with Pakistan became full-fledged members of the grouping, which has been increasingly seen as a counter to NATO.  

The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Iran along with Mongolia, Afghanistan and Belarus have observer status at the summit.

After a year of turbulence marked by over a two-month military stand-off near their border in June 2017, China-India ties have seemingly improved in 2018.

(With PTI inputs)