Xi's seaside summit with Modi aims to reset China-India ties beyond Kashmir

Ancient temples carved into massive rock faces along the ocean will form the backdrop to Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s informal talks aimed at resetting ties strained by border disputes and trade tensions.

The leaders of the world’s two most populous countries are meeting Friday and Saturday in the southern Indian coastal town of Mamallapuram, on the outskirts of Chennai. This is the second straight “informal” meeting between the leaders, after their interaction in Wuhan in April last year. There’s no set agenda, India’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

The summit comes as China navigates a trade war with the U.S. and months-long protests in Hong Kong, while India is trying to revive an economy that’s seeing the slowest expansion in six years. New Delhi has also expressed annoyance over China’s support of neighbor and rival Pakistan regarding India’s decision to revoke the special autonomous status of Kashmir, a region both Islamabad and New Delhi claim.

The priority of the meeting is likely to be reset ties beyond Kashmir and border tensions, said Jiang Jingkui, director of the Center for South Asian Studies at Peking University. “I expect the two leaders would negotiate in principle to address the difference and make adjustment.”