India, China must carry forward bilateral ties: Xi Jinping

While tension has gripped the India and China border, the respective heads of State are following diplomacy protocol in New Delhi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday, who is on a three-day India visit.

The two leaders met in Hyderabad House where they discussed bilateral issues.

In the one-on-one meeting which lasted for 90 mins, Modi and Jinping is learnt to have consulted on increasing bilateral trade, which has been the focus of NDA Government. But, sources said, a major time was spent on the border dispute issue.

Report emerged, India raised the Chinese incursion issue in Ladakh with the Chinese counterpart.

Before the meeting, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said that India will raise the incursions more extensively during talks.

Earlier on Wednesday, Modi raised the issue of latest Chinese incursions in Ahmedabad where the leaders walked together and later had dinner at the Sabarmati riverfront.

The border tension arose after reports emerged that nearly 1,000 armed Chinese troops crossed Line of Actual Control (LAC) and entered about five km into Indian territory on Wednesday, intensifying a stare-down that has been building up in the past two weeks in Ladakh's Chumur sector.

The worst Chinese transgression in years took place at a time when neighbouring nation’s President Xi Jinping visited India, the first by a Chinese head of state in eight years.

Reacting seriously, India also rushed reinforcements to Chumur sector after learning the news of third such intrusion by armed Chinese troops in a little over a week.

It has been learnt that soldiers from both the sides were locked in an eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation at the border.

Two flag meetings between both the sides ended inconclusively.

Sources said, senior officials of the foreign and defence ministry held talks with Beijing to defuse tension ahead of talks between PM Modi and President Xi.

National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, who is now in Nepal, is reportedly monitoring the border dispute issue.

But, the Chinese Premier tried to downplay the situation by extending harmony messages to India.

On Thursday after receiving ceremonial guard-of-honour at Rashtrapati Bhawan, President Xi said, India, “China must carry forward bilateral ties.

India, China must carry forward friendship, deepen respect.”

He asserted, India, China have similar development philosophies.

Before that Xi went to Rajghat and paid respect to Mahatma Gandhi by placing wreath. New Delhi made it clear to Beijing that, it is not going to tolerate any aggression; 

Last week, Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj had said, "If we believe in One China policy, they should believe in One India policy."

India has also refused to sign a liberalized visa pact with China; it is likely to convey its strong objection to China issuing stapled visas to Indians from Arunachal Pradesh.

But at the same time India invited China’s any proposal on bilateral trade development.

The two countries signed three pacts in Gujarat on Wednesday.

China is expected to pledge 100 billion dollars for upgrading railways and for industrial parks, power generation and smart cities in India.