Chennai / As PM said, we had heart to heart talks on bilateral relations: Xi

Mamallapuram: A new era of cooperation will start between India and China on Saturday with the "Chennai connect", Prime Minister Narendra Modi said after around five-and-half hours of one-on-one talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping spread over two days in this ancient coastal town as part of the second informal summit.

Xi said their "candid", "heart-to-heart" discussions on bilateral relations were "in-depth" and "good", noting that maintaining and expanding the Sino-India relations is a firm policy of his government.

The opening remarks by the two leaders at the delegation-level talks are seen as a clear reflection of attempts to recalibrate ties that were strained following India's decision to withdraw special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

"The Wuhan spirit gave a new momentum and trust to our relations. Today, our Chennai Connect will lead to the start of a new era of cooperation between the two countries," Modi said, referring to the outcome of the first informal summit between the two leaders at Chinese city of Wuhan in April last year.