China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit India on June 8. He is scheduled to hold talks with his counterpart Sushma Swaraj and also meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
On the agenda is strengthening of bilateral ties between the two countries with strategic perspective on developmental goals for the long-term benefits of both nations. Wang Yi will be the first foreign minister to visit India after the Modi-led government took charge and is also likely to lay the groundwork for an eventual visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping. This after Prime Minister Modi extended through Premier Li an invitation for the Chinese head of State to visit India later this year.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang was the first foreign head of government to call up Narendra Modi after he took over as prime minister and indicated in his telephonic conversation China’s desire to deepen strategic partnership in economic and bilateral relations. The recent initiatives by China seem to be strengthening on Prime Minister Modi’s past ties with Beijing as he has visited China four times during his tenure as Gujarat chief minister.
The two countries are observing 2014 as the Year of Friendly Exchanges to step up engagement on various fronts. While the bilateral trade last year touched over $66 billion, the two countries are engaged in efforts to address India’s concerns over the $35 billion trade deficit with China. Much of China’s $900 million investment in India has been made in Gujarat.