The Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi and the President of the People’s Republic of China Mr Xi Jinping held their Second Informal Summit in Mamallapuram (Chennai), India, on 11-12 October 2019.
The Informal Summit was called as ‘Chennai Connect’. The first such summit is called as ‘Wuhan Spirit’ held in China in 2018.
Tamil Nadu and Fujian Province
During the informal summit, the two leaders agreed on establishment of sister-state relations between Tamil Nadu and Fujian Province, exploring the possibility of establishing an academy to study links between Mahabalipuram and Fujian province on the lines of the experience between Ajanta and Dunhuang and conducting research on maritime links between China and India in view of our extensive contacts over the centuries.
2020 as Year of India-China Cultural
The two Leaders have decided to designate 2020 as Year of India-China Cultural and People to People Exchanges and agreed that the 70th anniversary of the establishment of India-China relations in 2020 will be fully utilized to deepen exchanges at all levels including between their respective legislatures, political parties, cultural and youth organizations and militaries.
PM Modi in veshti
Prime Minister Narendra Modi appeared in the traditional south Indian attire of a white veshti (dhoti), half-sleeved spotless white shirt and an angavastram (upper cloth) while hosting Chinese President Xi Jinping in Mamallapuram.
Hongqi
- Chinese President Xi Jinping covered the 57-km journey to Mamallapuram from Chennai travelling in a specially flown in Hongqi limousine.
- The Hongqi is a luxury Chinese car used by leaders of the ruling Communist Party of China from the time of its founder Mao Zedong.
- In Chinese, hongqi means the red flag.
- Chinese leaders do not use helicopters.
