Modi-Xi summit seen as sign of bonhomie but also strategic ambitions of New Delhi

Warming ties will be a win-win for the two Asian powerhouses but Modi’s policy also signals India’s intent to gain influence over its geopolitical backyard, analysts say

India took a ‘neighbourhood first’ approach to sending invites for Modi’s swearing in, but with one obvious omission: Pakistan

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomes Chinese President Xi Jinping in Ahmedabad, India, in 2014. Photo: AP

Published: 3:31pm, 29 May 2019Updated: 3:16pm, 30 May 2019

Just days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi won a resounding mandate in general elections, his government’s foreign policy strategies are already playing out on the Indian subcontinent.

His administration has proposed hosting Chinese President Xi Jinping for an informal summit later this year, possibly to be held in the religious hub of Varanasi, which Modi represents in parliament.

The plan follows a meeting between the pair in the eastern Chinese city of Wuhan in April last year.

Indian authorities on Wednesday said they were working with Chinese counterparts to finalise details.

The move means Modi and Xi are set to meet at least twice in 2019, with their next encounter as soon as two weeks away, when multiple leaders converge on the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek for a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi walks next to Russia’s leader Vladimir Putin and China’s President Xi Jinping at the 18th SCO summit in Qingdao last year. Photo: Xinhua

The one-on-one will come at a crucial time for both. India, fresh from its fiercely fought elections, is facing a grim macroeconomic forecast.