Modi-Xi meet: Security beefed up, traffic affected in and around Chennai

Security has been beefed up outside ITC Grand Chola in Guindy where Chinese President Xi Jinping will head to after his arrival in the city.

The Chinese President will land in Chennai at 2:10 pm today and will proceed to Mamallapuram, 50 km away, amid tight security by road, where he will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the second informal summit.

Xi is also slated to attend a dinner hosted by Prime Minister Modi at 6:45 pm.

Meanwhile, security has been intensified at Mamallapuram and Chennai with the Tamil Nadu Police deploying thousands of security forces to avert any untoward incident. This development is further expected to affect normal traffic in the cities.

In order to welcome the visiting dignitary, the Department of Horticulture in Mamallapuram has decorated a huge gate near 'Panch Rathas'. The Prime Minister and the Chinese President are expected to visit the site later in the day.

Around 200 staff members and trainees of the departments spent almost 10 hours to decorate the gate. Almost 18 types of vegetables and fruits have been used in the decoration.

Interestingly, the vegetables and fruits have been brought here from different parts of the state.

Indian Coast Guard ships were also deployed in the waters near the Shore Temple -- the second century-old granite architecture built by the Pallava kings to provide security from any seaborne threat.

The historic coastal town of Mamallapuram will provide the setting for the meeting between Modi and Xi. The two leaders will have one-on-one, as well as delegation-level talks to strengthen bilateral ties.

During the meeting, the two leaders are expected to explore "overarching issues of bilateral, regional and global importance" and exchange views on deepening India-China Closer Development Partnership.

Flags of India and China have been put up around the area to mark the summit. The airport has also been decked up traditionally with banana leaves, flower garlands, and fruits.

Around 2,000 school students, wearing masks of the Chinese President and dressed in red t-shirts, will also stand along the pavement waving Indian and Chinese national flags to greet Xi.

The two leaders had their first inaugural informal summit in China's Wuhan on April 27 and 28 last year.

The Prime Minister has already reached Chennai for the summit, while Xi is expected to land later in the afternoon.

( With inputs from ANI )