Wang visit to add momentum to China ties: India

China has expressed keen interest in establishing high-level contacts with India’s new leadership at the earliest to step up engagement in political, trade and economic areas.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Delhi will provide further momentum to the India-China Strategic and Cooperative Partnership, India said on Wednesday. File photo

India on Wednesday said the visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to national capital from June 8 as Special Envoy of the President will provide further momentum to India-China Strategic and Cooperative Partnership.

“The objective of the visit is to establish contact with the new Government of India. The visit is an important element of the Year of India-China Friendly Exchanges and will provide further momentum to the India-China Strategic and Cooperative Partnership,” External Affairs Ministry said in New Delhi.

Apart from calling on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr. Wang, a seasoned diplomat, will interact with his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj.

China has expressed keen interest in establishing high-level contacts with India’s new leadership at the earliest to step up engagement in political, trade and economic areas.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang was the first foreign Head of Government to call up Mr. Modi after he took over as Prime Minister. The Chinese Prime Minister had conveyed his government’s desire to establish robust partnership with the new government during a call to Mr. Modi, who expressed keenness to work closely to deal with any “outstanding issues”.

During the call, Mr. Modi had noted that China was always a “priority” in India’s foreign policy and welcomed greater economic engagement between the two countries.

China has already conveyed its interest in having a top Indian leader attend the 60th anniversary of Panchasheel, the five principles enunciated jointly by former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and his then Chinese counterpart Zhou Enlai in 1954.

China is hosting a function to mark the occasion on June 28 in which a high-level delegation from Myanmar, which too was associated with Panchasheel concept, is expected to participate.

China had already conveyed to India its President Xi Jinping’s wish to visit New Delhi.

Mr. Xi and Mr. Modi will have an opportunity to meet during the next BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Summit to be held in Brazil in July.