Modi, Xi expected to attempt re-balancing bilateral ties at Mamallapuram
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will accord a warm welcome to Chinese President Xi Jinping when he arrives in this coastal town on Friday for an informal summit during which the two leaders are expected to attempt a strategic re-balancing in bilateral ties, strained by a hardline approach on the Kashmir issue from both sides. The two leaders will hold talks at the 7th century Shore Temple complex overlooking the Bay of Bengal in an informal setting in the evening without aides or any agenda with a focus on charting a new roadmap for the overall expansion of ties. Modi, who landed in the Tamil Nadu capital of Chennai before proceeding to Mammallapuram, about 50 km away, by helicopter, expressed the wish that the summit will further strengthen ties between India and China. "Landed in Chennai. I am happy to be in the great land of Tamil Nadu, known for its wonderful culture and hospitality," he said in tweets in English, Tamil and Chinese. "It is gladdening that