On April 27 and 28, 2018, President Xi Jinping held an informal meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India at the East Lake Hotel in Wuhan.

The East Lake in April is surrounded by rolling mountains and faint haze. Leaders of the two countries exchanged comprehensive and in-depth views on China-India relations and major international issues of common concern in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

Xi Jinping pointed out that in the past three years, Mr. Prime Minister and I have achieved mutual visits, met with each other several times on multilateral occasions, and reached a lot of important consensus, jointly leading China-India relations to maintain a sound momentum of development. The two sides have established a closer development partnership and made positive progress in communication and cooperation across all fields. Bilateral relations are moving forward at a higher level.

Xi Jinping stressed that at present, the international situation is in a critical period of change and adjustment, and countries around the world are now more inter-connected and rely on each other. The general trend of peace and development is irreversible. As the two largest developing countries and emerging market economies each with a population of over 1 billion, China and India are both important engines of world economic growth and backbone forces for promoting multipolarization and economic globalization. A sound relationship between China and India is an important and positive factor for maintaining world stability, and is of great significance to promoting the development and progress of all human beings. Socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era, and Mr. Prime Minister has also proposed the goal of building a “New India.” On the road of development and revitalization, China and India are facing similar tasks. We should firmly focus on development, and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, so as to jointly realize national rejuvenation, create an Asia featuring stability, development and prosperity in the 21st century and make positive contributions to the world peace and development.

Xi Jinping pointed out that the stability and development of China-India relations are based on mutual trust. The two sides should grasp the China-India relations from a strategic perspective and continuously increase mutual understanding and trust so as to promote all sectors and people of the two countries to deepen mutual understanding and foster friendly feelings. Both sides should well grasp three key points: first, China and India should be good neighbors and good friends. The two countries should regard each other as an active factor in the comparison and change of global power and take each side as a cooperative partner for realizing own dream of development. Second, China and India are getting stronger and stronger, and this represents an irresistible trend and offers important opportunities to each other. Third, both China and India pursue independent foreign policies, and the two sides should correctly analyze and view each other’s intentions with a positive, open and inclusive attitude. China and India have many similar ideas in international affairs. When dealing with relationship between major countries, China insists on strategic autonomy, non-conflict and non-confrontation and upholds promoting the construction of a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness and justice and win-win cooperation, which are in the same vein with the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence jointly advocated by China and India in the 1950s.

Xi Jinping emphasized that in the next stage, China and India should work together to well plan for all-round cooperation between the two countries, carry out closer strategic communication and conduct timely consultation on major issues of common concern between both sides, so as to firmly grasp the general direction of the development of bilateral relations and ensure the effective operation of dialogue mechanism. The two countries need to carry out more in-depth practical cooperation and promote more extensive people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and well deal with differences in a more mature manner. Both countries should strengthen coordination and cooperation in international and regional affairs, and promote regional economic integration and the construction of connectivity. The two sides should uphold the global governance concept of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, promote the construction of an open world economy, support the multilateral trading system, and conduct more positive international cooperation to jointly cope with global challenges. China is willing to make joint efforts with India to create an Asia featuring stability, development and prosperity in the 21st century and promote the development of the international order in a more fair and reasonable direction.

Narendra Modi thanked President Xi Jinping for inviting him to Wuhan, and expressed that in the past two days, he had candid and in-depth exchanges with President Xi Jinping and also learnt about the long-standing and profound Jing-Chu culture, from which he further felt that President Xi Jinping has attached great importance to and has guided personally the development of India-China relations. Both India and China are countries with ancient civilizations, and are important neighbors to each other. The two sides should strengthen dialogue, exchanges and cooperation, live in harmony and maintain ever-lasting friendship from generation to generation. Narendra Modi paid high attention to the announcement at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) that the construction of socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era, while India also has its own goal of “New India”. He totally agreed with what President Xi Jinping has pointed out that as the two largest developing countries and two huge emerging market economies with a combined population of 2.6 billion, India and China are stabilizing factors of the world, and their development has important influence on the world and has positive significance to the vast developing countries. In the 21st century, India and China should join hands to make greater contributions to peace, stability and prosperity in Asia and the world. Narendra Modi agreed that India and China should maintain high-level strategic communication. The two countries have common idea, common resolution and common vision for the development of India-China relations. The two sides should strengthen contacts and cooperation, enhance mutual understanding and mutual trust, properly handle and control differences, and facilitate non-governmental friendship so as to elevate bilateral relations to a new level. India firmly pursues an independent foreign policy, supports the globalization, and supports safeguarding the multilateral system as well as the democratization of international relations. India is willing to join hands with China to promote the common interests of the vast developing countries.

Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and Director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee Ding Xuexiang, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee Yang Jiechi, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi as well as others attended the above activities.