The Premier of the People’s Republic of China, Li Keqiang, will visit India from May 19-21. This will be his first overseas visit following assuming office in January 2013.
During this two-day visit, he is expected to meet his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh and Indian External Affairs Minister, Salman Khurshid, among others – where both sides will review various aspects of the India-China bilateral relationship. Also on the agenda is the discussion for an economic corridor connecting India, Myanmar and the ASEAN.
This visit comes shortly after the bilateral went through tense moments, following the border stand-off between the two armies in Depsang Valley, Ladakh.
High-level bilateral engagements between India and China are increasing. The ‘India-China Annual Defence Dialogue‘ took place in January; Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid visited Beijing from May9-10; and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Indian Defence Minister A. K. Antony are expected to visit China in the coming months.
The India-China bilateral relationship is significant, given that both nations share a long border with each other. Trade between the two economies has grown rapidly in the last few years, with bilateral trade pegged at $66 billion in 2012.