India-Vietnam oil pact casts shadow over Xi Jinping visit

Even as India rolls out a red carpet for the Chinese president Xi Jinping, the stand off in Demchok area of Ladakh with Chinese nomads having pitched tents with the help of Chinese Army and Maldives handing over its airport to a Chinese company earlier managed by GMR, an Indian subsidiary have clouded the visit. If that was not enough, China has raised objections to the India-Vietnam agreement to enable ONGC to explore two more oil wells in the waters of the disputed South China Sea. The agreement was signed during president Pranab Mukherjee's ongoing visit to Vietnam

Officials at ministry of external affairs, however, were confident that all issues would be raised with the Chinese delegation. Prime minister Narendra Modi also said both countries can "script history" by enhancing cooperation and called for relationship going beyond "plain arithmetic".

Modi will receive Chinese president XI Jinping in Ahmedabad when he kicks off his India visit from Gujarat. Modi has directed the ministry of external affairs that henceforth visiting heads should be convinced to travel beyond New Delhi and see the small town India to understand the country's diversity better.

Talking to Chinese media, the prime minister summarised the possibilities of the bilateral ties moving ahead as 'Inch' meaning India and China towards Miles — Millennium of Exceptional Synergy — and said every inch both cover can rewrite history of humanity and every mile crossed will go a long way in making the planet a better place.

Modi and Xi will hold talks on two occasions — first when the prime minister will host a private dinner for the visiting dignitary after his arrival in Ahmedabad on September 17 and then in New Delhi on September 18 in restricted and delegation-level format. Chinese president is accompanied by a high-level delegation including two senior members of Politburo and the Chinese commerce minister, at his hotel in Ahmedabad. China is expected to announce investments to the tune of billions of dollars in India's railway, manufacturing and infrastructure projects.

Meanwhile, the BJP MP from Ladakh Thupstan Chewang said the Chinese civilians are refusing to vacate the Indian territory until the work on construction of an irrigation canal was stopped. Local authorities in Ladakh say, Chinese 'Rebos' (nomads) have pitched tents inside the Indian territory in Demchok area, 300 kms from Leh, and are refusing to vacate the same till the work was stopped.

They had entered about 500 metres deep into Indian territory on the intervening night of September five and six this year. In another incident in the adjacent Chumar area, Chinese Army cordoned a team of 100 Indian soldiers accusing them of having entered into their territory. However, the Chinese had to leave after more enforcements arrived in the area.