Modi raises cross-border terror with Xi
TIANJIN (China), Aug 31: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday flagged concerns over cross-border terrorism in his talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and pitched for cooperation between India and China to combat the menace as both the countries are its victims.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said the issue of cross-border terrorism was mentioned by PM Modi as a “priority”.
Modi and Xi held wide-ranging talks earlier in the day with a focus on rebuilding the bilateral relations that came under severe strain following the over four-year border standoff in eastern Ladakh that ended in October last year.
“He did underline the fact that this is something that impacts both India and China, and that it’s important therefore that we extend understanding and extend support to each other,” Misri said at a media briefing.
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“And I would say that we have received the understanding and cooperation of China as we have dealt with the issue of cross-border terrorism in the context of the ongoing SCO Summit,” he added.
Misri’s remarks are seen to be an indication that the SCO declaration may comprise some criticism or condemnation of cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan.
Pakistan has been an all weather ally of China and Beijing in the past had blocked New Delhi’s efforts to designate a number of Pakistan-based terrorists by the UN Security Council.
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Misri said the two leaders also exchanged views jointly fighting terrorism.
Meanwhile, signalling a pushback to Washington’s trade war, India and China on Sunday vowed to expand trade and investment ties to stabilise global commerce as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to deepen bilateral ties to combat pressing challenges and work towards a “fair” solution to the festering border issue.
In their talks on the margins of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, Modi and Xi appeared to display a tactical embrace focusing on boosting economic ties at a time India is going through possibly the worst phase in its relations with the US in over two decades with the strain exacerbated by President Donald Trump’s tariff policy and constant criticism of New Delhi by his administration.
Modi noted in the meeting that India and China both pursue “strategic autonomy”, and their relations should not be seen through a “third country lens”, remarks which assumed greater significance in the face of the downturn in New Delhi’s ties with Washington.
The talks between the two leaders covered a range of issues including reducing India-China trade deficit, jointly tackling challenges like terrorism, and ensuring fair trade in multilateral platforms.
The two leaders recognised the role of the two economies to stabilise world trade and underlined the need to proceed from a political and strategic direction to expand bilateral trade and investment ties and reduce trade deficit, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
It said Modi and Xi deemed it necessary to expand common ground on bilateral, regional, and global issues and challenges, like terrorism and fair trade in multilateral platforms.
In the talks, Modi and Xi reaffirmed that the two countries are development partners and not rivals, and that their differences should not turn into disputes, the MEA said.
Modi, on his first visit to China after the eastern Ladakh military standoff, underlined the importance of peace and tranquility on the border areas for continued development of bilateral ties and asserted that New Delhi is committed to advancing the relations based on “mutual trust, respect, and sensitivity”.
“Our cooperation is linked to the interests of 2.8 billion people of our two countries. This will also pave the way for the welfare of all humanity,” Modi said in Hindi in his televised opening remarks.
After over four years of frosty ties over the eastern Ladakh military standoff, India and China began to repair the relations following a meeting between Modi and Xi in the Russian city of Kazan in October last year that took place after the face-off ended.
“They (Modi and Xi) expressed commitment to a fair, reasonable, and mutually acceptable resolution of the boundary question proceeding from the political perspective of their overall bilateral relations and the long-term interests of the two peoples,” the MEA said.
At a media briefing, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said maintenance of peace and tranquility at the border is like an insurance policy for India-China ties and PM Modi conveyed this position to President Xi.
The Prime Minister also mentioned the challenge of cross-border terrorism and pitched for extending support to each other to combat the menace as both India and China have been impacted by it, he added.(PTI)
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