Modi in China: PM holds one-to-one meeting with Xi Jinping

Modi holds informal talks with Xi Jinping

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is holding one-to-one meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in central China's Wuhan, the first stop in their two-day informal summit in Wuhan. Modi was welcomed with a short traditional Chinese dance at the Hubei Provincial Museum. The two-day "heart-to-heart" summit will see the two leaders discussing global, regional and bilateral issues.

The one-to-one discussions will be followed by talks between the two leaders accompanied by six top officials from each side. The two leaders will have one-on-one dinner at a state guest house by the famous East Lake, news agency PTI reported.

A tour of one of the best-known museums of China, dinner by a picturesque lakeside followed by talks with top officials would mark the two-day unprecedented informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

During the one-on-one informal meeting, Modi told Jinping that he visited Wuhan when he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat. Modi's two day visit to China will promote free trade, strengthen unity among developing countries, and uphold the principles of equity and justice: Chinese Ambassador to India.

WATCH: PM Narendra Modi during the tour of the Hubei Provincial Museum

Ahead of the two-day summit, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou told the media that the two leaders may not release a joint statement at the end of the meet. "Both sides have agreed not to sign an agreement or release any joint document but reach important consensus to resolve outstanding issues," he said.

"At the informal summit, the two leaders will have heart-to-heart discussions on overarching issues and try to build mutual trust and consensus to resolve outstanding differences," Kong said.

The meeting is looked upon with a lot of interest from both sides following the Doklam standoff last year even as the concerned parties have described it as an "informal meeting" where the two leaders will mainly be a free speaking occasion with little institutional and procedural baggage.

The media has described the occasion as one when India and China will "reset" their relationship which has seen highs and lows in the recent times, asserting the viewpoint that the two Asian giants are more "frenemies" and enemies.