‘Talks between PM & Chinese Premier will boost bilateral ties’

However, Raksha Mantri cautioned against viewing India’s relations with China through the Pakistan-China relationship.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s informal talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Wuhan will give a big boost to bilateral ties between the two countries.

Speaking at a seminar on transformation in China’s Geopolitics, strategy, society, and business organized by the Chennai Centre for China Studies, Defence Minister said that the Prime Minister had forged a personal relationship with the Chinese President which made the engagement possible during the two-day summit.

She underlined the importance to keep existing mechanisms active. Seetharaman exuded confidence that forthcoming SCO summit would provide greater opportunities for engaging with China on various platforms.

However, Raksha Mantri cautioned against viewing India’s relations with China through the Pakistan-China relationship.

The Defence Minister said there had been greater interaction between the two sides post-Doklam.

The introduction of a hotline between the two countries would help to reduce the time to reach decision makers on both sides, she added.