Explained: Modi-Xi meet in Mahabalipuram for ‘Informal Summit, what is it?

Informal Summits allow discussion on wide-ranging issues, they are not particularly purpose-specific, and are sometimes considered to play bigger roles in diplomatic dialogue than formal exchanges.

Explained: Ahead of proposed Modi-Xi meeting, understanding 'Informal Summits'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Chinese President Xi Jinping take a boat ride on the East Lake in Wuhan, China, April 28, 2018. (PIB/Reuters)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping are meeting in the ancient coastal town of Mamallapuram or Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu, some 50 kilometres south of Chenna, for a second Informal Summit on October 11-12. The two countries convened their first Informal Summit in central China’s Wuhan in April 2018, where they exchanged views on issues of global and bilateral significance.