China, India to reaffirm common world vision at Wuhan summit

China and India are expected to reaffirm their common vision for peace, stability and development in Asia, when President Xi Jinping meets Prime Minister Narendra Modi for informal talks on Friday and Saturday here, a Beijing-based expert on international affairs has said.

In an article for the China Daily, Yi Fan said, "The common interests between China and India far outweigh their differences. So they should see each other as friends and partners in building a community of shared future for human kind, rather than foes or rivals destined to be trapped in futile competition."

He further stated that, "Together, they should reject the zero-sum approach and embrace win-win cooperation, because greater synergy of development strategies, the progress of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and third-party cooperation in South Asia will benefit both."

Fan assessed that the international community will be keenly watching the personal dynamics of Jinping and Modi during their ïnformal"summit engagement in Wuhan in Central China's Hubei province.

He said that with both nations having a civilizational relationship going back over 2000 years, their ties in the 21st century are at what he called a "crucial stage of reform and modernisation. "

"There is a lot they (Jinping and Modi) can share with each other to achieve their similar goals-the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation and the vision of "New India", " he said

"The two countries also share the common interest of tackling global issues, from climate change to cyber security. Both strongly support globalisation and multilateralism, and advocate increasing developing countries' voice in global governance. China is the biggest trading partner of India, and India the largest project contracting market for Chinese companies in South Asia. India's competitive edge in information technology, software and medicines, and China's strengths in manufacturing, infrastructure development and emerging industries make the two sides natural partners with great potential for closer economic cooperation," Fan added.

He also said that the "Wuhan meeting provides a much needed opportunity for strategic communication at the top level."

He said that the relaxed setting on the banks of the East Lake in Wuhan would allow both leaders to hold in-depth talks vital for Sino-Indian ties in the long term.