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    How the upcoming Wuhan summit draws its inspiration from 'Sunnylands​ meet'

    Synopsis

    The choice of venue is interesting. Wuhan is much like the Nagpur of China. It’s at the heart of central China and at the core of Chinese communist politics.

    Xi-Modi Summit
    Xi plans to take Modi to a historical site near Wuhan to underline civilisational bonding.
    The informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping is somewhat inspired by the way Xi tried to work out relationships with American presidents.

    The first template is the 2013 Sunnylands summit between Xi and then US President Barack Obama. It was two-day ‘no-necktie hangout’ between two powerful global leaders that for Washington was an effort at establishing early chemistry with the new Chinese President.

    If this California estate provided the setting for Xi and Obama, it had to be on the opposite end in Florida with Donald Trump. What’s important, however, was Beijing stuck with the same idea.

    Beijing proposed the format, Washington came up with the venue. And as it left many China watchers bewildered, this is what a top Chinese official had to say when asked about the purpose of the meeting: “Dui Dui biao (Synchronising our watches)”.

    Trump obliged with a retreat at the Mar-a-Lago estate — again same rules, informal, candid and intended to project an equation despite large differences. While no lasting outcome came from that effort, many in Beijing believe that it has helped manage Washington for two years until the recent actions on trade.

    Usually in India’s case, Beijing has always tried to equate the Indian PM with Chinese premiers. This is the first time that the Chinese President will be personally hosting the prime minister for the entire duration of the visit. And that reflects Xi’s growing clout and the way in which the office of the premier has been cut to size.

    In 2015, when Modi traveled to China, the bureaucracy insisted that he be hosted by premier Li Keqiang. Xi had still not gained full control but ensured he flew down to Xian to meet Modi. In that way, the Wuhan Summit will a great leap forward from the time all that an Indian PM got was a ceremonial meeting at the Great Hall of the People.

    WUHAN -- NAGPUR OF CHINA
    The choice of the venue is equally interesting. Wuhan, an official said, is much like the Nagpur of China. It’s at the heart of central China and at the core of Chinese communist politics.

    In 1966, amid rumours that he was gravely ill, Mao Tse-Tung made a sudden appearance in Wuhan and swam across the Yang Tse river, the event from where the Cultural Revolution was launched. The city also witnessed a clash between Mao’s revolutionaries and counter revolutionaries that included a mutinous PLA division.

    The Wuhan annual swim, however, is an important fixture for the Chinese Communist Party, and living in his guest house by the city’s eastern lake was one of Mao’s favourite retreats.

    The leaders are expected to spend most of their time in the picturesque vicinity of the lake but Xi has plans to take the PM to a historical site near the city just to underline civilizational bonding.

    Not that India didn’t try a variation of the Sunnylands format. It did, when Xi came by soon after Modi was elected in 2014. The Sabarmati riverfront and Mahatma Gandhi’s Ashram in Ahmedabad were meant to give that air of informality, but they had been overshadowed by the Chinese incursion in Chumar, Ladakh. It didn’t quite come off and which is why after that, officials agree, New Delhi went low-key with Beijing.

    WUHAN VIA ASTANA, HAMBURG & XIAMEN
    The confidence has now returned because of three incrementally effective and improved Modi-Xi conversations last year — Astana (SCO meet), Hamburg (G-20 summit) and Xiamen (Brics summit). It was at Astana that both sides agreed to not let differences turn into disputes. In Hamburg, Modi reminded Xi of this consensus as armies on both sides stood across in face off in Doklam. Xi responded by authorizing dialogue with then Indian Ambassador in China, Vijay Gokhale, now foreign secretary. After 17 meetings, a disengagement was agreed, enabling Modi to travel to Xiamen.

    At a time when global powers like US and Russia are reopening old conflict lines, India and China are looking to script stability with China despite differences. Beijing is signaling the same, not just to India but even to Japan. Wuhan may be the first tentative step, say officials, towards a new consensus, so what if it’s inspired by a US-China template.


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    Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.

    Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online.

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