Modi, Xi To Issue Strategic Guidance To Their Militaries To Strengthen Communications

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping have decided to issue strategic guidance to their respective militaries to strengthen communications and to build trust and understanding, the top Indian diplomat said today.

Briefing reporters at the end of an unprecedented two-day informal summit between the two leaders in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said the two leaders underscored that it is important to maintain peace and tranquility in all areas of the India-China border region.

“And to this end, the two leaders decided that they would issue strategic guidance to their respective militaries, to strengthen communications, to build trust and understanding, to implement various confidence-building measures which have already been agreed upon by the two sides and to strengthen existing institutional mechanisms to prevent and manage situations in the border areas,” he said.

His remarks came at the end of the 'heart-to-heart' summit between Modi and Xi, which is being seen as an effort by India and China to rebuild trust and improve ties that were hit by the 73-day-long Dokalam standoff last year.

"The two leaders were of the view that the two countries have the maturity and wisdom to handle all our differences through peaceful discussions within the context of the overall relationships and bearing in mind, we would respect each other's sensitivities, concerns and aspirations," Gokhale said.

They agreed to strengthen greater strategic communications between the two sides, he said.

The two leaders recognised terrorism as common threat and committed to cooperate further on counter terrorism, the top Indian diplomat said.