Prime Minister Singh's China trip to bolster ties

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will be visiting China within months, and either Chinese president or premier will pay a visit to India in the second half of the year. Jayanth Jacob reports.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will be visiting China within months, and either Chinese president or premier will pay a visit to India in the second half of the year.

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The visit to Beijing is expected to take place after Singh visits Japan in May-end or early June.

The Prime Minister’s trip to China will ensure both the neighbours are keen to follow the same script in the bilateral relations after the decadal change in the Chinese leadership.

In a relationship with the elements of ‘coordination, cooperation and competition’, both countries are following a calibrated policy of not letting any contentious issue such as the unresolved boundary hampering the ties.

“The visit of PM Manmohan Singh and the return visit from the Chinese side will happen in the course of the year. The PM will be travelling to Beijing within months,” said a government official.

Either president Xi Jinping or premier Li Keqiang will visit India.

Singh had met Chinese President Xi Jinping on the margin of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) summit in Durban last Wednesday.

The two leaders had invited each other to their respective countries.

New Delhi has concerns over Chinese aid for the projects in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) and a growing imbalance in trade.

In his meeting with Chinese president Xi Jinping, Prime minister also proposed a joint mechanism with China on the proposed three dams across Brahmaputra on Chinese side.