Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met face to face at the Five Rathas on Friday and the Chinese leader was given a guided tour by Modi himself along with officials from the Archaeological Survey of India. Modi was clad in a traditional veshti and angavastram.

This will be followed by informal talks lasting for three hours including delegation-level talks. The Prime Minister will be accompanied by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and other officials.

The Chinese President will be accompanied by Ding Xuexiang, member of political bureau of the CPC Central Committee and director of the general office of the CPC Central Committee, Yang Jiechi, member of the political bureau of the CPC Central Committee and director of the office of foreign affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, Wang Yi, state coordinator and foreign minister, and He Lifeng, vice chairman of the national committee of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and Chairman of National Development and Reform Commission.

There will also be a 40-minute one-on-one talk between the two leaders.

Sources said the issues are overarching and won't be confined to a single-point agenda.

There will also be a cultural show ahead of the dinner.

Tamil Nadu cuisine will be served to the Chinese delegation and it is being customised to suit Chinese taste buds, sources said.

Sources also rejected reports that it was the Chinese who selected Mahabalipuram as the venue for the informal summit.

"India selected it and a recce was done as early as June," an MEA official said.

Since the talks are informal, it is learnt that there will be no joint statement. There will be separate releases from both India and China.