PM Narendra Modi and China President Xi Jinping discuss trade, terrorism on Day 1 of informal summit

Chennai : Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke about the rising concern over the issues of terrorism and radicalisation in their five hour long meeting at the Mahabalipuram, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said in a late-night media briefing on Friday.

"The two leaders held detailed discussions on their respective national vision," said Gokhale. They also discussed trade-related issues to enhance bilateral trade volumes.

Gokhale said the issue of terror was taken up in the mostly one-to-one discussions as well. "There was an acknowledgement that both the countries are very complex and very diverse. The two leaders said that these are large countries and that radicalisation is a matter of concern to both and that both would work together so that radicalisation and terrorism did not affect our multi-cultural, multi-ethnic multi-religious societies," he said.

As per briefing, Xi Jinping is looking forward to work with Modi on all the issues. Mr. Gokhale said that the two leaders share a very personal rapport, as seen from their interaction during the temple tour of Mahabalipuram on Friday evening. 

Xi reached Chennai in the afternoon where he was accorded with a red-carpet welcome and then he went to the coastal town on Mahabalipuram, where he was received by the PM Narendra Modi.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar termed the first day meeting as "highly productive with a pleasant conversation over a long dinner". 

"The free-flowing nature of the informal summit at the UNESCO world heritage site will continue and deepen contacts at the highest level and guide the future trajectory of India-China relationship," Kumar earlier said in another tweet.