China visit to strengthen Asian prosperity: Indian PM Modi

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking at the Indian Community Programme in Toronto, Canada in April 2015 [Image: PMO, India]

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said his upcoming China visit will further enhance “economic co-operation with China in a wide range of sectors”.

“Am certain that my visit to China will strengthen stability, progress and prosperity in Asia,” tweeted Modi, while using both Mandarin and English to convey his message.

The Indian Prime Minister’s visit to China comes at a time when the new defense guidelines between the United States and Japan is being viewed as a provocation in Beijing.

The Indian Prime Minister on Monday opened an account on the Chinese equivalent of twitter, Weibo, ahead of his visit to the country next week.

Weibo, which means microblog, is the most popular social media site in China. The site is censored but its users have played an important role in highlighting corruption.

“Looking forward to visiting China from 14-16 May to boost friendship between our 2 ancient civilizations 2 largest developing nations,” tweeted the Indian Prime Minister on Wednesday.

Modi will hold talks with his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing and meet industry leaders in Shanghai. Modi will also visit Chinese President Xi’s hometown in Xi’an province.

“I also look forward to meeting the captains of industry in Shanghai sharing with them the wonderful opportunities India has to offer,” said Modi.

China-India trade topped $70.59 billion in 2014, a year on year increase of 7.9 per cent. The two countries have set a trade target of $100 billion by 2015.

The trade deficit is slanted in China’s favour.

Chinese exports to India surged to $54.2 billion in 2014, posting a 12 per cent increase while Indian exports to China decelerated to $16.4 billion, a decline of 3.5 per cent.

The Indian Prime Minister, during his trip, is expected to woo Chinese investors into his “Make in India” campaign, besides asking China to open up more in sectors like information techonolgy, pharmaceuticals and agricultural products.

 

The BRICS Post