PM Modi discusses CPEC, terrorism with Xi Jinping, says India and China need to be 'sensitive to each other's strategic interests'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping comes at a time when the bilateral ties have witnessed turbulence over a raft of issues.

PM Modi discusses CPEC, terrorism with Xi Jinping, says India and China need to be 'sensitive to each other's strategic interests'
Pic courtsey: @MEAIndia

Hangzhou: In his 35-minute meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hangzhou city, Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised India's concern over USD 46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which runs through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), and terrorism 'emanating from the region'.

He also told Jinping that India and China need to be 'sensitive' to each other's strategic interests.

Asserting that fight against terror should not be motivated by "political considerations", PM Modi said it was of "paramount importance that we respect each other's aspirations, concerns and strategic interests to ensure durable bilateral ties", Vikas Swarup told Indian journalists, touching upon broad themes that the PM stressed upon during his bilateral with Xi, their eighth meeting.

Asked whether terrorism was discussed, Swarup said, as per IANS, "It was raised."

"In order to promote positive convergence, we would also need to prevent growth of negative perception. For this, the specific actions by both countries would play the major role," Swarup said.

In particular, PM Modi highlighted that "we have succeeded in maintaining peace and tranquility on the border", Swarup added.

Asked whether Prime Minister Modi raised the issue of China blocking India's bid for the membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) during the bilateral, Swarup declined to get into the "nitty-gritty" of the issues discussed.

"I am not going into the nitty-gritty of each and everything that was discussed. Everything is not meant for public consumption. There are certain things (which) need to remain between the two governments," he said.

On yet another question on the NSG issue, he said, "I will not go into the specifics, if you read between the lines, you pretty much understand when you we talk about strategic interests, concerns and aspirations, it is not as if China is not unaware of our strategic interests, aspirations and concerns or we are unaware of their concerns. So, it is something both sides are well aware."

"This was a meeting at summit level between the two. They are meant to provide high-level guidance and direction to overall relations," Swarup added.

The CPEC passes through the restive regions of Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan and Pakistani Kashmir.

India has strongly opposed the project as it claims Gilgit-Baltistan and Pakistani Kashmir.

Besides a host of energy-related projects, the CPEC consists of rail, road and pipelines to ferry oil and gas from Gwadar port on Arabian Sea to Kashghar in China's Muslim-dominated Xinjiang province through PoK.

On his part, Xi said China was willing to work with India to maintain their "hard-won sound" ties and further boost bilateral cooperation.

"China is willing to work with India to maintain their hard-won sound relations and further advance their cooperation", state-run Chinese Xinhua news agency quoted Xi as saying.

"China and India should respect and care for each other on issues of major concern, and handle differences in a constructive way," Xi told PM Modi, as per PTI.

Xi said both sides had seen healthy, stable and speedy development of their relationship, and that as neighbours and developing nations they should continue high-level exchanges. 

PM Modi and Xi's meeting comes at a time when the bilateral ties have witnessed turbulence over a raft of issues involving Pakistan including China's technical hold on UN ban against Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Muhammad chief Masood Azhar and its attempts to block India's entry into NSG.

(With Agency inputs)

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