Narendra Modi And Xi Jinping - Bromance On The Beach

Modi and Xi resolve to work further on bilateral ties even as they accept that Sino-Indian differences may be irreconcilable

- Rekha Dixit

Xi Jinping shed his coat and tie. It was not just a concession to the Chennai warmth by the Chinese president, but also in keeping with the “informality’’ of the summit. Narendra Modi, on the other hand, was dressed in cool Tamil cottons, making a statement of India’s diversity, sartorial and otherwise.

If the Wuhan Spirit was a salve for the fresh bruises of Doklam, its follow up a year-and-a-half later, the “Chennai Connect” as Prime Minister Modi called it, held on October 11 and 12, was more about statements, subtle and bold. The venue was chosen to showcase India’s rich past that was linked with China’s. In fact, these were the shores from which Bodhidharma sailed to China, taking the message of Zen Buddhism with him. A subtle hint on Indian exports, even though the trade balance now favours China.

Weeks before the meeting, China took India’s abrogation of Article 370 to the United Nations Security Council, despite External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s outreach efforts. The Chinese ambassador to Pakistan said his country would support Islamabad in resolving the Kashmir dispute. Also, Xi wedged his Chennai tour neatly between receiving Prime Minister Imran Khan in Beijing and himself going to Kathmandu from Chennai. The messaging was clear. India is at best a regional power. China is already thick with one south Asian neighbour and is actively wooing another.