NEW DELHI – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host ChinesePresident Xi Jinping for an “informal summit” later this week, New Delhiconfirmed Wednesday, just 48 hours ahead of the meeting.
India had been preparing for the talks on Friday and Saturday but there hadbeen speculation that they might be postponed because of differences overseveral issues.
These include Chinese unease over India’s move in August to split the stateof Jammu and Kashmir — partially claimed by China — into two and Indianmilitary exercises in Arunachal Pradesh state, part of which is alsoclaimed by Beijing.
India has also objected to Beijing’s Belt and Road initiative, a globalinfrastructure programme that includes a major project throughPakistan-administered Kashmir, a territory claimed by New Delhi.
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The Indian foreign ministry said that the talks in Chennai in southernIndia would “provide an opportunity for the two leaders to continue theirdiscussions on overarching issues of bilateral, regional and globalimportance and to exchange views on deepening India-China CloserDevelopment Partnership”. -APP/AFP
