Doval to visit Beijing ahead of Xi's India trip

National security advisor Ajit Doval will visit Beijing next week for talks with Chinese leaders ahead of President Xi Jinping's visit to India later this month.

National security advisor Ajit Doval will visit Beijing next week for talks with Chinese leaders ahead of President Xi Jinping's visit to India later this month.

During his three-day visit starting from September 8, Doval would hold talks with Yang Jiechi, the Chinese state councillor, officials here said.

He is also later expected to call on Xi.

Doval and Yang are also special representatives for the India-China border talks.

However, Doval's visit is part of preparations for Xi's visit to India expected to take place in the third week of this month and not connected with the border talks, officials told PTI.

This is Doval's first visit to China after he succeeded Shivshankar Menon.

Both countries are currently making hectic preparations for Xi's first visit to India after he took over as president last year.

Commerce minister Nirmala Sitharaman just concluded a three-day visit this week during which she held talks with her Chinese counterpart Gao Hucheng to discuss issues relating to Chinese plans to establish industrial parks in India as well as to take part in the modernisation of Indian railways expected to be announced by Xi during his visit.