Wuhan : The Informal Summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping began in this picturesque Chinese city on Friday. 

ÂThe two leaders had a one-on-one meeting during which they exchanged views on solidifying our bilateral relationship,ÂÂ External Affairs MinistryÂs official spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in a tweet. The informal summit began at the East Lake guesthouse in ChinaÂs Wuhan city. The two leaders will review the developments in India-China bilateral relations from a strategic and long-term perspective. 

Prime Minister Modi was warmly welcomed by Chinese President Xi on his arrival at Hubei Provincial Museum in Wuhan with an impressive cultural performance.  Cultural connections between the two neighbouring nations date back to many centuries. In the present times, Bollywood and Yoga have become popular in China. 

Bilateral ties between the two countries went through a rough patch in the aftermath of the two-month long Doklam standoff. 

The two leaders also visited an exhibition of Marquis Yi of Zeng Cultural Relics and Treasure (Hubei Provincial Museum). “When I was Gujarat CM, I had opportunity to visit this Province. I had heard lot about Three Gorges Dam. Speed with which you constructed it& scale inspired me. So I came on study tour,spent a day at dam,” Prime Minister Modi told President Xi. He also said that culture of both India and China is based along the river banks, if we talk about Mohenjo Daro and Harappa civilizations in India, all the development happened along river banks.

Later, the two leaders are likely to go for a walk around the guesthouse.

President Xi would also host a dinner for Mr. Modi in the East Guest Lake House.

Ahead of Mr. Modi’s visit to Wuhan, China Daily newspaper quoted from a recent article written by China’s Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui in which he said, “Both countries are at a critical stage of economic development and modernisation”, and admitted that “it is natural for neighbours to have differences (and) that when differences can’t be solved for now, we should properly manage them and focus on cooperation.”

Another prominent daily Global Times gave the headline “Informal Modi-Xi meeting heralds a new chapter in Sino-Indian relations”.

China’s official news agency Xinhua reported that the, “Tete-e-tete between the two leaders is going to set the stage for Beijing and New Delhi to further exchange views over (the) long-term and strategic issues and to initiate fresh momentum for future bilateral cooperation.”disagreements under guidance of mutual common sense of both leaders.