China said on friday it was ready to hold a Wuhan-style summit meeting with India this year to improve ties,notwithstanding the differences over the trillion-dollar Belt and road initiative in which the China-Pakistanconomic Corridor (CPEC) is a flagship project.
New Delhi initially suggested dates in November for the meeting, set to be held in India, but later agreed on dates in October after Beijing said the timing of the summit should be advanced so that the momentum created by the Wuhan meeting isn't dissipated, people familiar with the developments on both sides said.
With nearly a month to go for the results of the general election, India and China have quietly begun preparing for the second informal summit between their top leadership that is expected to build on the gains of the first such meeting in Wuhan and bridge differences on key issues.
New Delhi initially suggested dates in November for the meeting, set to be held in India, but later agreed on dates in October after Beijing said the timing of the summit should be advanced so that the momentum created by the Wuhan meeting isn't dissipated, people familiar with the developments on both sides said.
A full plate of issues, including contentious matters such as the disputed border, especially in Arunachal Pradesh; India's opposition to China's Belt and Road Initiative and China's position on Pakistan-based terrorists, will be on the agenda for the summit, which an Indian official said would be "qualitatively different" from the Wuhan meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping in April 2018.
A venue for the second summit is yet to be finalised, though people familiar with the developments said the choice could be one that reflects India's long civilisational history and also provides locations where the two leaders should spend time in private to discuss issues. Despite the current understanding on dates in October, some quarters in Beijing are hoping the timing will be further advanced.
