Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to host Chinese President Xi Jinping in Varanasi on October 11. The Indian government has sent a proposal to China that the second informal summit between the two countries be held in PM Modi's constituency this year.
The Chinese President had hosted Modi in Xiamen for the BRICS summit where he had made a mark as a Communist Party of China office-bearer almost 30 years ago. PM Modi wants to reciprocate the same courtesy by inviting him to his parliamentary constituency this year.
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China has said that it is positively considering the proposal. While the details are being worked out, the Ministry of External Affairs confirmed in a statement Wednesday that India and China are in touch for the summit in India later this year.
"The two sides are in touch, through diplomatic channels, to finalise the date and venue for the meeting. Details about the visit will be announced in due course after the details are finalised," the statement read.
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The first informal summit between Modi and Xi was held in the Chinese city of Wuhan in on April 27-28, 2018. The meeting took place months after the Doklam standoff between the two neighbours. Both of them had resolved to open a new chapter in India-China ties and instructed their respective militaries to boost coordination along the border.
"During the first informal summit in Wuhan, Chinese President Xi had accepted the invitation of PM Modi to visit India for the next informal summit in 2019. The two sides are in touch, through diplomatic channels, to finalise the date and venue for the meeting," the MEA spokesperson said in response to the reports in a section of media about the venue and date of the Modi-Xi informal summit.
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