China commends India's GDP growth

Source: PTI

The relationship between China and India is advancing rapidly. “We have similar positions on major international issues because we are major developing countries. And we both put economic development at the centre of our national development agenda,” remarked a senior Chinese leader. 

Concurring to the development, dates are not finalized yet, but Indian President Pranab Mukherjee will visit China next month. There are ongoing irritants over issues like Beijing blocking India’s bid to get a UN ban on JeM head Masood Azhar, however, Mukherjee plans to tighten Sino-India trade engagement and relationship. 

The President will be in Beijing, and very likely to visit Guangzhou, one of the largest industrial cities in China, where India has established stronger trade links—a reciprocal visit after Chinese President Xi Jinping visited India in 2014. 

Later in the year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s will also visit China to attend the 2016 G-20 Hangzhou summit, which is scheduled for 4–5 September 2016, in Hangzhou city, Zhejiang. “In September this year, China will host the G-20 summit and India is an important member of that organisation. So we stand ready to work with India more closely to ensure the success of the G-20 summit,” Wang said. 

Sino-India trade ties have expanded significantly in the last few years, closing its bilateral trade volume at $ 70.4 billion in FY2015. On RIC (Russia, India and China) Wang said that the three countries together account for over 40% of the world’s population and they should step up strategic cooperation and work together to maintain world peace and stability. “Our three countries need to shoulder more of our common responsibilities,” he added.