PM Modi-Xi Summit: Why Mamallapuram sends a deep historical message

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Chennai to a grand welcome on Friday, ahe of his informal bilateral meet with PM Modi. A brief cultural ceremony was organised to welcome visiting leer. A large number of artists lined up at airport waving colourful flags, beating drums and dancing to tritional music to welcome influential Chinese leer. 

venue of summit, ancient coastal town of Mamallapuram, about 50 km from Tamil Nu capital, is significant as it has strong tre and cultural links with China's Fujian province. Here's significance of venue chosen for historic Xi Jinping- PM Modi meet- 

• four iconic that PM Modi and Chinese President are expected to visit in Mamallapuram, depict that India has always played a central civilization role in global tre and commerce. 
• historic monuments in Mamallapuram, that would be visited on Friday are all 1300 years old. But y are t museums but are living monuments. Apart from showing India's civilizational herit shows our ability to live in harmony with nature.
• ability to live in harmony with nature is also reflected by monuments mselves. For instance, while re are 20 scenes of animals at Arjun's Penance, t one depicts hunting or violence. This reflects spirit of mutual harmony and peaceful co-existence that embodies Indian culture and civilization.
• cultural performance scheduled for Friday evening in Mamallapuram will reflect India’s cultural richness and diversity. function has been put toger by India’s premium Cultural Group-Kalakshetra that was set up by Ms. Rukmani Devi Arundale in 1936.

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PM Modi-Xi Jinping meet

Xi Jinping is accompanied by Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi. Both are scheduled to hold separate talks with ir Indian counterparts  S Jaishankar and National Security visor Ajit Doval. Officials on both sides said focus of Modi-Xi summit would be to insulate bilateral tre and development cooperation between emerging ecomic powerhouse from differences on Kashmir and vexed boundary issue.

twithstanding strained ties, state and central government ncies have left stone unturned to accord a warm and grand welcome to Xi. This temple town has been decorated with flowers and colourful lights and historical sites to be visited by Chinese leer have been spruced up. two leers will hold talks at 7th century Shore Temple complex overlooking Bay of Bengal in Mamallapuram in an informal setting in evening without aides or any nda with a focus on charting a new romap for overall expansion of ties.

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Ahe of two-day summit, Chinese Ambassor to India Sun Weidong told PTI that a new set of consensus including guiding principles on giving a new direction to bilateral ties is expected from engment. Xi Jinping's visit comes two days after he held talks with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in Bejing.

A China-Pakistan joint statement issued after talks said China is paying close attention" to situation in Kashmir and that issue is a dispute left from history, and should be properly and peacefully resolved based on UN Charter.

comments angered India as it asserted that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of country and China is well aware of New Delhi's position. Officials said re will be at least five occasions when Modi and Xi will have opportunities to eng on a one-on-one setting on Friday and Saturday.

This is second edition of informal summit between Modi and Xi. first informal between two leers was held in picturesque Chinese lake city of Wuhan in April 2018, months after a 73-day face-off between armies of two countries in Doklam tri-junction raised fears of a war between two Asian giants. At 5 pm, Modi will take Xi to three iconic monuments of Mamallapuram -- Arjuna's Penance, Panch Rathas and Shore temple. n two leers will witness a cultural programme at temple complex.

two leers will sit toger in lawns of Shore temple and exchange views on charting a new romap of development and cooperation. prime minister will host a private dinner for Xi at Shore temple complex. menu is likely to have a host of sumptuous tritional dishes, officials said. On Saturday, two leers will hold one-on-one talks at Fisherman's Cove resort. This will be followed up by delegation-level talks. After talks, Modi will host a lunch for Xi, and Chinese leer will leave for Chennai airport at 12.45 pm, y said.

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(With PTI inputs)