Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shakes hands with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang after a joint press conference in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. (Photo : AFP)
China and India have signed 24 agreements on May 15, Friday, the second day of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's three-day visit in China, including a joint statement with Premier Li Keqiang proposing to solve border disputes, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
The report said that the agreements range from aerospace and railways to marine science, enhancing the political ties between the two countries, which would lay the foundation for the framework bilateral ties in the next five to 10 years.
"We just had in-depth talks and touched on a wide range of topics, which we both expect to yield common ground and results. It is fair to say that we met expectations," Li said after the talks with Modi at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
The Indian leader added that that Sino-Indian relations are taking a positive direction, which is beneficial to both countries and sends a positive signal to the world, the report said.
Modi said that India looks up to China as an important strategic ally, as the development of bilateral ties will have a significant impact on the two countries and the world.
The joint statement of the two leaders stated the guidelines for political talks, border issues, cultural communication, economic and trade cooperation, and other areas such as issues related to religious exchanges and climate change.
The statement also stated proposals for solving the border issues, which include the start of annual visits between the militaries of the two countries and meetings and exchanges of border commanders on a regular basis. The guideline also called for the establishment of a military hotline, which has been discussed for years.
The two leaders have both agreed to maintain the peace and tranquillity in the border area while the dispute is being resolved.
"The two sides should make full use of their wisdom to deal with sensitive issues such as the border issue, maintain the negotiation momentum, and establish cooperation framework mechanism," Li was quoted as saying.
