China keen to step up economic engagement with India as Modi takes charge

Beijing: A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government took office, China on Tuesday expressed keen interest to establish high-level contacts with India’s new leadership at the earliest to step up engagement in political, trade and economic areas.

“China attaches high importance to relations with India and is ready to work with the new Indian government to maintain high-level contacts,”

China’s influential State Councillor Yang Jiechi told India’s Ambassador Ashok K Kantha during a meeting here. China was reportedly keen that a top Indian leader attends the celebrations of the 60th anniversary of Panchasheel, the five principles enunciated jointly by former PM Jawaharlal Nehru and his then Chinese counterpart Zhou Enlai.

The event in which leaders of China, India and Myanmar are expected to participate is slated to be held in China on June 28.

Also the Chinese President Xi Jinping who took over last year has expressed interest to visit India after the swearing-in of the new government.
In a rare gesture, China’s official media gave the biggest coverage to an Indian political event and projected Narendra Modi’s elevation as Prime Minister as a harbinger of “big boost” to bilateral ties.

“Mr Modi to boost ties with China”, state-run China Daily said, featuring Modi's oath-taking ceremony as the PM on Monday in its lead story. The newspaper recalled Mr Modi’s visit to China as the CM of Gujarat in 2011. “He presented a business card with one side in Chinese and in red the colour that symbolises wealth and good fortune,” it said.