Chinese President Xi Jinping began his
three-day India tour from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state of
Gujarat on Wednesday, amid expectation that they will draw up renewed
ties for the new power centres in Asia.
The
Chinese president, accompanied by his wife Peng Liyuan, alighted from
an Air China aircraft at about 3pm in Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai
Patel International Airport.
Governor Om Prakash Kohli and Chief Minister Anandiben Patel welcomed them at the airport.
PM Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping enjoy a light moment
as folk dancers perform during a welcome programme for the latter along
theSabarmati river.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the Sabarmati waterfront in Ahmedabad.
After inspecting a guard of honour, Xi and
his 130-strong entourage left for Hotel Grand Hyatt, covering an 18-km
long route dotted by the flags of the two countries.
At
the hotel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi warmly received Xi and
proceeded to have a brief one-on-one discussion with him. Three
agreements were signed in the presence of the two dignitaries.
One
memorandum agrees to ‘sister province’ relations between Guangdong and
Gujarat for cooperation in economy and trade, environmental protection,
public policy education, health, science and technology, tourism and
culture.
Another is about developing Guangzhou and Ahmedabad as ‘sister cities’.
In Ahmedabad,India had rolled out the red carpet for Xi and his wife Peng
Liyuan, who began their visit from Gujarat.
Xi
and Modi witnessed the signing of three pacts in a departure from
protocol. Three memorandums of understanding were signed, making China’s
Guangzhou and India’s Ahmedabad sister cities, promising the setting up
of industrial parks, and the development of cultural and social ties
between China’s Guangdong province and the Gujarat government.
Modi
also took Xi for a walk along the Sabarmati riverfront as well,
signalling that the two leaders had started on a positive note.
Gujarati cultural performances were the late-afternoon appetiser; a lavish 150-dish dinner followed in the evening.
Prime
Minister Narendra Modi is seen with the first lady and a member of the Indian delegation at the riverfront dinner get-together
Prime
Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping did take the
Sino-Indian relationship an extra mile or two in Ahmedabad on Wednesday,
but the two nations stayed locked in three local not-an-inch
confrontations in southeastern Ladakh.
Local
army commanders held their second flag meeting in three days at
Spanggur Gap on Wednesday to find ways to restore original troop
positions in Chumar, and end a nearly week-long deadlock in Demchok.
Even as talks were on, Indian and Chinese troops came face-to-face at another location in Chumar.
A
banner drill was held to re-enforce territorial claims, but the
stand-off had continued till late into the evening. The latest hotspot
is 2km east of the point where the two sides have been holding positions
in eyeball-to-eyeball mode for the past week or so.
With the opening up of the third confrontational point, the situation has only worsened.
Both the Indian and the Chinese armies
maintained tough positions at the flag meetings. China insisted that
India should dismantle the bunkers it has constructed in Chumar. The
Indian position overlooks a new road constructed by China
Chinese
First Lady Peng Liyuan surprised everyone at the Sabarmati Riverfront
Garden on Wednesday by singing the opening lines of the Raj Kapoor
classic ‘Awaara Hoon’.
The
spontaneous rendition was quite the crescendo on a day of a resurrected
Bhai-Bhai show, as Chinese President Xi Jinping began his three-day
visit to India from Ahmedabad.
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday Sep 17,2014 was accompanied by a high-powered business
delegation of 50 members. India has sought Chinese investment to boost
India's railway, manufacturing and power sectors. Modi is also likely to
urge China to open its domestic market to address the trade imbalance
and stop its military trade with Pakistan.
Prime
Minister Narendra Modi, who hosted a private dinner for Xi in Ahmedabad after his
arrival there yesterday, conveyed India's concern over the Chinese
incursions, sources said. Chinese Army has reportedly made a fresh
incursion in Chumar area in Jammu and Kashmir and refused to return. As
many as 100 more soldiers of Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA)
arrived from a hillock of Chumar area and strengthened its numbers to
nearly 350.
The stand-off in Demchok in Ladakh where Chinese nomads - Rebos -
had pitched their tents is also continuing. The incursion in this area
is nearly 500 metres deep into Indian territory.
Chinese President Xi Jinping began the second day of his 3-day visit
to India on Thursday Sep 18,2014 by visiting the Rashtrapati Bhavan along with Prime Minister
Narendra Modi.
Jinping was given a ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Jinping said, "I hope to change a lot from my first visit to India. We
admire each other's civilisation. We need to expand our friendly
contact."
President Pranab Mukherjee (second from Left) with First Lady of China
Peng Liyuan (far left) look on as Prime Minister Narendra Modi (far
right) greets Chinese President Xi Jinping in New Delhi
President Pranab Mukherjee, External Affairs Minister Sushma
Swaraj and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley were also present at the
ceremony.
Jinping also visited the Rajghat and paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi.
PM Narendra Modi raises simmering LAC row in three-hour meeting with China's President Xi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday unequivocally flagged India’s concerns about the simmering border dispute with China during talks with visiting President Xi Jinping, saying the resolution of the issue could drive economic cooperation and help the two countries make the 21st century an era dominated by Asian powers.
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit, only the third by a Chinese President to India, was overshadowed by a face-off between Indian and Chinese troops in Chumar area, and an intrusion by Chinese civilians at Demchok along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Civilians from the Indian and Chinese sides during a stand-off at Demchok
PM Narendra Modi with Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) at Hyderabad House
Chinese paper People's Daily's front page with write ups and photos
President Pranab Mukherjee for his
Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Thursday evening
was restricted to a few Cabinet ministers as Prime Minister Narendra
Modi wanted a low-key affair.
The
entire cabinet was not invited and only key ministers or those whose
ministries were party to several agreements signed between the two
countries earlier in the day attended the dinner that followed a meeting
between Mukherjee and Xi.
First Lady impresses kids with folk song
It was an unexpected but pleasant
surprise for students of Tagore International School as they were joined
by the First Lady of China Peng Liyuan while singing a Chinese folk
song to welcome her.
Dressed in a white satin blouse and a knee-length skirt, Peng became an
instant hit among students for her friendly behaviour. During her
45-minute visit to the school on Thursday, the First Lady not only
attended cultural programmes organised in her honour but also interacted
with students.
Peng Liyuan kisses a student during her visit to Tagore International School in New Delhi
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