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Updated: Oct 12, 2019 10:44 IST

India and China have agreed to “promote exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations,” an official statement from Beijing said early on Saturday after PM Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping met in Mamallapuram for the second informal summit Friday evening

“Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed on Friday to promote exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations to achieve joint development and prosperity,” a statement released by official news agency, Xinhua said.

Beijing is expected to release a more detailed statement on the outcome of the summit after the two leaders wrap up the summit later in the day.

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The statement, which focussed more on the people-to-people and cultural aspects of the bilateral ties, was widely carried across Chinese media on Saturday morning.

“Modi gave Xi a guided tour of the Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram, which was built during the 7th and 8th century and includes Arjuna’s Penance, Panch Rathas, Shore Temple and other monuments. The two leaders held an extensive talk during the tour on dialogue and mutual learning among civilizations,” the statement said.

“Xi recalled his successful meeting with Modi in Wuhan last year, which brought China-India relations into a new stage, and said that he is delighted to come to Tamil Nadu in southern India to further learn about the country,” the statement said.

“Tamil Nadu, a maritime transit hub for cargoes in the ancient Silk Road, has a long history of exchanges with China and close connections with China on maritime trade since ancient times,” Xi said.

“Both as ancient civilizations with several thousand years of history, China and India have carried on their exchanges and mutual learning till this day,” he said.

“The two countries’ ancestors have overcome various obstacles to carry out extensive exchanges and promote the development of literature, art, philosophy and religion, which have greatly benefited both sides,” the news agency quoted Xi as saying.

Noting that China-India cultural and people-to-people exchanges bear great potential, the Chinese president urged both countries to take the 70th anniversary of China-India diplomatic relations next year as an opportunity to conduct broader and deeper cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

India was the first non-Communist country to recognise the newly founded People’s Republic of China (PRC) on April 1, 1950.

Xi also called on the two countries to jointly advocate and push forward dialogue and exchanges among different civilizations, so as to inject more lasting driving force into the development of bilateral ties and continue to produce new glory for Asian civilizations.

Xi and Modi talked about the domestic development of China and India and exchanged experience in state governance.

“The two leaders agreed that China and India should respect and learn from each other so as to jointly achieve common development and prosperity, as well as the great rejuvenation of the two civilizations,” it said.