Modi-Xi Meet Begins With Veshti, Heritage Walk and Nariyal Paani

PM Modi met Chinese Premier XI Jinping, kick-starting their informal summit with a heritage walk in Mamallapuram

PM Modi met Chinese Premier XI Jinping, kick-starting their informal summit with a heritage walk in the coastal town of Mamallapuram on 11 October.

(Photo: PTI)

Video Editor: Ashutosh Bhardwaj

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Tamil Nadu's coastal town of Mamallapuram on Friday, 11 October, for an informal summit.

The two watched cultural performances at the UNESCO World Heritage site, and then had a traditional Tamil dinner hosted by PM Modi.

This second informal summit comes amid tensions between the two countries over the Kashmir issue, with India, in response to Chinese comments, asserting that it is an internal matter.

(Click here for LIVE updates on Modi-Xi’s informal summit)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who reached Mamallapuram ahead of Xi by a chopper, received the Chinese leader at Arjuna's penance monument.

Attired in Tamil traditional 'veshti' (dhoti), angavastram (a shawl), and a shirt, the Prime Minister shook hands with Xi as the two leaders exchanged pleasantries.

The two leaders held talks at the seventh century Shore Temple complex overlooking the Bay of Bengal in Mamallapuram in an informal setting in the evening without aides or any agenda, with a focus on charting a new roadmap for overall expansion of ties.

The two leaders sat in the lawns of the Shore temple and exchanged views on charting a new roadmap of development and cooperation.

Xi and Modi are scheduled to hold informal summit talks on Saturday as well. The two leaders will also hold one-on-one talks at the Fisherman’s Cove resort.

This will be followed up by delegation-level talks. After the talks, Modi will host a lunch for Xi, and the Chinese leader will then leave for Chennai airport the same day.

(With inputs from PTI)