'We have to live side by side': Dalai Lama welcomes proposed visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to China

New Delhi: The Dalai Lama welcomed the proposed visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to China and said the two countries together can make huge contributions in different fields. [caption id=“attachment_4378053” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama. PTI[/caption] Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese president Xi Jinping will hold an informal summit in China’s Wuhan city from 27 to 28 April to exchange views on bilateral and international issues and to enhance mutual understanding between them, China’s foreign minister Wang Yi announced in Beijing on Sunday after meeting External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. “I think very good….neither India nor China…(has) the ability to destroy (each) other,” the Dalai Lama told reporters on the sidelines of an event when asked about the visit. He said that the two countries should live as friendly neighbours. “We have to live side by side, then much better live friendly. If combined, India and China, can make contribution in many fields besides economy,” the Tibetan spiritual leader said. The Dalai Lama had on Sunday said that Tibet might remain part of China if its geographical, cultural and linguistic autonomy was guaranteed. “Tibet will benefit from economy of China.” This will be the fourth visit of Modi to China after he came to power in 2014. He is again due to visit China to take part in the SCO Summit to be held at Qingdao city on 9 to 10 June. The Modi-Xi summit meeting is taking place in the backdrop of a series of high-level interactions between both the two countries starting with Chinese foreign minister Wang’s visit to India in December, the first after the Doka La border standoff. It was followed by two meetings between Indian national security advisor Ajit Doval and his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi and the visit early this year by India’s Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale to Beijing.