India and China signed a record 24 agreements in key areas on Friday, including in the rail and education sectors, on day two of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first visit to the communist neighbour.

Protocol for setting up Consulates-General at Chengdu and Chennai, in addition to an MoU on a consultative mechanism for cooperation in trade negotiations, were among the 24 agreements signed in the presence of Modi and his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang here.

An action plan between the Indian Railways and China National Railways on enhancing cooperation in the railway sector was also signed.

“Today, we have signed over 20 agreements, covering diverse areas of cooperation. This shows the depth and maturity of our relationship and the positive direction of our partnership,” Modi said in his address.

“Our decision to open consulates in Chengdu and Chennai reflects the growing mutual confidence and shared commitment to expand relations,” he added. An MoU on an education exchange programme and ‘Space Cooperation Outline’ were also signed.

Think tanks, too

Other key agreements are on developing China-India think tanks, maritime cooperation and ocean sciences. Four agreements were signed on sister-state and sister-city relations between Karnataka and Sichuan province; Chennai and Chongqing; Hyderabad and Qingdao; and Aurangabad and Dunhuang.

Agreements on an education exchange programme, on mining and minerals, skill development, tourism and vocational education also figured on the list.

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