Narendra Modi-Xi Jinping informal is all about building chemistry

More than formal diplomatic engagements that come with fanfare and media glitz, the world was saved from imminent wars many a time in the past by behind-the-scene efforts and meetings of leaders held in informal settings.

The 1962 Cuban missile crisis — when world was almost at the verge of a nuclear war — or the US warming up to China in 1971 or the Camp David agreement signed by Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli PM Menachem Begin in 1978 to bring peace in Middle East were all results of protracted secret negotiations by the leaders away from conventional diplomacy.

Therefore, Prime Minister Narendra Modi holding hands of Chinese President Xi Jinping and walking along the banks of the East Lake and taking a boat ride together is seen as an effort to try and cement the strong chemistry to take serious issues by the horns. A formal summit usually involves talks across table, with the two leaders' first reading out an opening statement after which issues are then picked up from the agenda. A joint declaration is already negotiated before the leaders meet and is then released to the media. The signing of pre-negotiated agreements also part of the conventional summit choreography. But at the informal summits, there is no agenda; no signing of agreement, but just absorbing to understand each others' position to explore a middle ground. The agreement, however, is later disclosed only after a formal meeting. Such summits are necessitated when engagement at other levels fail to resolve outstanding issues. These meetings, therefore, must not be tied down by too much pageantry and expectations.

Sources said the unusual timing of the Wuhan summit was due to the desire of both leaders to "devote" some more time to developing their personal chemistry. It was felt that the margins of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit scheduled in June, the maximum period for bilateral discussions would perhaps have been half an hour. The 'informal' summit takes place just a month before the annual meeting of the SCO in Qingdao, for which Modi will again travel to China. At the end of first-day of interactions, PM Modi is believed to have proposed a five-point way forward for better bilateral ties — common vision, better communication, strong relationship, shared thought process and a shared resolve.

Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale, who was ambassador to China before taking over in Delhi and worked hard to diffuse the Doklam crisis had stated that India-China relations are undergoing a sensitive phase. "Both sides have agreed not to sign an agreement or release any joint document but reach important consensus to resolve outstanding issues," said Chinese vice-foreign minister Kong Xuanyou. Officials here believe that "objective" of this two-day meeting was to have "strategic communication" at the highest level on the perspective that each leader has on both domestic, as well as, foreign policy issues. Former NSA Shivshankar Menon said India and China will continue to "circle each other's periphery''. But added that there was scope to move forward as part of modern strategic thinking.

As Modi and Xi try to seek a better future for India-China relations, analysts here believe that there is need to keep such meetings away from media glitz and grandstanding. A case in point is the failure of Agra summit of 2001, because Pakistan's Pervez Musharraf held his breakfast meeting with editors even as talks with AB Vajpayee, who was then Prime Minister, were still on.

‘The Horse’ And ‘Sparrows & Grass’

• PM Modi gifted Prez Xi reprints of two paintings done by celebrated Chinese painter Xu Beihong during his stay at Shantiniketan (1939-40).
• Titled ‘The Horse’ and ‘Sparrows & Grass’ their single reprints were commissioned for the informal summit between the two leaders at Wuhan.