Lok Sabha Question No. 526 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-20
Subject: Agreements with China
Ministry: EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: Bhola Singh, Thalikkottai Rajuthevar Baalu, Sukanta Majumdar, Raja Amareshwara Naik

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EXERNAL AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 526 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.11.2019

## AGREEMENTS WITH CHINA

## 526. SHRI BHOLA SINGH: SHRI T.R. BAALU: DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR: SHRI RAJA AMRESHWARA NAIK:

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) the major agreements signed during the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping's India visit during October, 2019;
- (b) whether China has invited India to become a partner in China's Belt and Road Initiative during the visit and if so, the details thereof including the Government's reaction thereto;
- (c) whether   there   was   a   high-level   economic   and   trade   dialogue mechanism developed between finance ministers to boost import and export   volumes,   bridge   the   huge   trade   deficit   and   increase   mutual investment and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government has signed any deal on border road and a controversial extradition treaty with China and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the other major achievements of the Chinese President's India trip?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS [SHRI V. MURALEEDHARAN]

(a) Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and President of People's Republic of China Mr. Xi Jinping held their second Informal Summit in Chennai on October 11-12, 2019.  No agreements were signed during this meeting.

- (b) No Sir.

(c) The two leaders have decided to establish a High-Level Economic and Trade Dialogue mechanism with the objective of achieving enhanced trade and commercial relations, as well as to better balance the trade between the two countries and to encourage mutual investments through the development of a Manufacturing Partnership. This new mechanism will be led by Hon'ble Finance Minister from the Indian side and Vice Premier Hu Chunhua from the Chinese side.

- (d) No Sir.

(e) The 2 nd  Informal Summit between Prime Minister and President of People's Republic of China Mr. Xi Jinping enabled the two leaders to hold direct, free and candid exchange of views on issues of over-arching, long-term and strategic significance, without the constraints of protocol and pre-set agenda.

Although   no   formal   agreements   were   signed   during   the   2 nd   Informal Summit, the discussions between the two leaders resulted in the following outcomes:

- (i) The two leaders have decided to establish a High-Level Economic and Trade Dialogue mechanism with the objective of achieving enhanced trade and commercial relations, as well as to better balance the trade between the   two   countries   and   to   encourage   mutual   investments   through   the development of a manufacturing partnership.
- (ii) The two leaders have decided to designate 2020 as Year of India-China Cultural and People to People Exchanges.
- (iii) The two leaders have decided that 70 activities will be organized to celebrate   the   70th   anniversary   of   the   establishment   of   India-China relations in 2020.
- (iv) The two leaders have agreed to establish sister-state relations between Tamil Nadu and Fujian Province of China and also to conduct research on age-old maritime links between China and India.

In addition, the two leaders reaffirmed the consensus reached during their first Informal Summit in Wuhan, China in April 2018, that India and China are factors for stability in the current international landscape and that both side will prudently manage their differences and not allow differences on any issue to become disputes.

The   two   leaders   also   positively   appraised   the   work   of   the   Special Representatives and urged them to continue their efforts to arrive at a mutuallyagreed framework for a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement based on Political Parameters and Guiding Principles that were agreed by the two sides in 2005. The two leaders reiterated their understanding that efforts will continue to be made to ensure peace and tranquility in the border areas.

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