No scope of discussion on Kashmir during PM Modi-Xi's summit: Sources
Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit India on a two-visit starting Friday, October 11 to 12 to take part in the 2nd informal summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Chennai. This will be their third meeting since PM Modi's re-election and their second informal meet since the Wuhan summit last year, the government said today.
Xi Jinping and PM Modi are expected to hold comprehensive talks on a host of issues concerning the bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and international issues.
However, all countries, including China, have been told categorically and clearly that abrogation of Article 370 is totally India‘s internal matter. There is no scope of discussion on this issue, news agnecy ANI reported quoting sources.
Sources also informed that topics like terrorism, terror funding/ support/ sourcing are likely to come up during Chinese President Xi Jinping and PM Narendra Modi's talks. Also, India and China to jointly hold anti-terror exercise in December 2019.
Xi will hold the informal meeting with Modi in the coastal town of Mamallapuram near Chennai from October 11 to 12 and then pay a state visit to Nepal on October 13, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying announced.
This is the second informal summit between Modi and Xi. The first one was held last year at the Chinese city of Wuhan, which enabled the two countries to normalise the relations on all fronts after the 73-day standoff between the two militaries at Doklam in 2017.
The standoff took place over the Chinese military’s plan to build a road close to the narrow Siliguri corridor also known as Chicken Neck corridor connecting the North-Eastern states. The standoff ended with both sides withdrawing from the standoff site after the Chinese military called off its road building plans.
The Wednesday’s announcement about Xi’s visit to India by China, coincides with the ongoing visit of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and its Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa. Khan who arrived on Tuesday held talks with Premier Li Keqiang and expected to meet Xi on Wednesday.
Khan's visit is taking place at a time when tensions have spiked between Pakistan and India after New Delhi ended the special status of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5.
According to sources, India does not see Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's visit to China ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to India as hyphenation, it is of no concern to India.
However, ahead of Xi’s India visit, China on Tuesday, said the Kashmir issue should be resolved between New Delhi and Islamabad, significantly omitting its recent references to the UN and UN Security Council resolutions.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang's comments marked a significant shift in what China has been saying on Kashmir in recent weeks in the aftermath of India's move to revoke Article 370 of the Constitution removing the special status to Kashmir.
Observers say it is significant shift ahead of Xi's visit to India for his 2nd informal summit with Prime Minister Modi.
(With PTI inputs)
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