15th Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi. PHOTO: AFP
Modi extended the invitation when he spoke by telephone with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, who had called to congratulate him on his victory in India's general election, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.
The Hindu nationalist won election by a landslide, ending a decade of rule by the Congress party that for most of the time since Indian independence in 1947 has been associated with a policy of non-alignment.
Li "conveyed the Chinese government's desire to establish robust partnership" with India's new government, the statement said.
Modi said he was keen to work closely with the Chinese leadership to deal with any outstanding issues, adding that he "welcomed greater economic engagement between the two countries".
No official statement was issued in Beijing. The last Chinese head of state to visit India was Hu Jintao in 2012.
Modi invited South Asian leaders to his inauguration on Monday, turning the event into an informal regional summit. He is keen to rebalance relations between New Delhi and Beijing that have long been marked by suspicion.
China's closest ally in the region is India's traditional foe, Pakistan, whose prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, attended the inauguration.
China and India fought a brief Himalayan war in 1962 that India lost. Tensions have occasionally flared on their common border, which runs for a total of nearly 3,400 km (2,100 miles) and is still partly in dispute.
India runs a $40 billion bilateral trade deficit with China, and Modi is expected to seek greater market access to reduce that gap. China's own embrace of an export-led model has helped its economy outgrow India's fourfold since 1980.
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Modi is clearly showing shift in foreign policy of improving relations with China on equality basis and drifting away from US due its cold shouldering him in the past which is bad news both for Obama and Sharif. India's trade with China shall cross 100 billion dollars mark soon and Modi will also aim for defence cooperation to ease border tension leaving Pakistan in the cold.
@mohummad riaz wan alim india did not interfere in any of China's matter. The British Drew the boundary mcmohan line as our border. The china doesn't recognise the British line. They claimed it their territory and attacked. When previously it was decided we would move back our forces and be peaceful, they violated it. So I don't know what matters you are talking about. If anything they were the ones that interfered in our country's matter and violated mcmohan line. And china is no fool to attack india and lose billions of dollars plus attack a nuclear armed country which is friends with all of China's enemies-japan,Vietnam,philiphines,South Korea etc who china has disputes with along with australia and USA that form a group.
While there is such an outcry against modi in pakistan, not a single word for muslims in china who are today persecuted in a manner never seen before. Uhiger muslims in china today get arrested for carrying religious text or sporting a beard or a skull cap. Yet no word from pakistanis who are self proclaimed champions of islam and self presumed leaders of muslims in the world and how can they after all the honey is so sweet and the pockets (to be read as bowl) is so deep its just more convenient to turn a blind eye.
China and India fought a brief Himalayan war in 1962 that India lost. Tensions have occasionally flared on their common border, which runs for a total of nearly 3,400 km (2,100 miles) and is still partly in dispute.
China is not worry from India, India should learn lesson ,not to intervene any country matter.. that is enough, let Modi do its best...
That's gr8 news... Modi should tie up with China and Russia to break the Western-Muslim (U.S.-Saudi) hegemony and arrogance.
@sharabi: are you from USA? They are known to have issues in geography. Wilmar a Chinese company? The founder is indonesia and the chairman is a Singaporean, nephew of Malaysia' one of the richest men! Singapore, indonesia, Malaysia are not China. They all have their own socio-political objectives, not always in line with China!!!
US must be regretting revoking his visa.
The Narendra Modi government is set to give a big push to India’s power capacity addition programme by putting four 4,000 MW ultra-mega projects (UMPPs) up for bidding in its first year in office.So total 16,000 MW in action.
@nel: Oops 10,000 MW in gujarat,india, its like 2/3 rd of whole pakistan capacity.
A 10,000 Mega Watt thermal power plant is coming up in Gujarat (India) .Adani who is the owner of this plant and Modi's chief financer intends to sell bulk of this electricity to Pakistan. Modi is likely to approve this plan in the coming months. The entire project costs 40,000 crores and will be taken up in stages.
@Timorlane Do you know how many Indian & Chinese MNCs Like -Adani-Wilmar are working together? Oh sorry your country does not posses such type of Conglomerates, BTW when it comes to economy Chinese will dump you like trash for India, They are just Business oriented people & so the Modi. You can not even imagine that Indian MNCs are still doing business in Pakistan by their foreign subsidiaries. BTW Congratulates for the new Aid Package from Denmark
@Timorlane:
Jinnah called for Direct Action day, where 5000 people died in Muslim Majority Bengal. Do you consider him to be a mass murderer too?
@lol: Are you Hitler to find humor in your ugly statements
LEFT meets RIGHT...what would be the reaction of already battered Commies in India on this coalition of extremes.
Modi boss RSS in action:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0kFonRb1z8
ET why was my comment edited? Premiere li first official foreign tour visit when he became premiere was to "India" not any other country. Only after our country visit did he go to other countries and allies. That itself shows the Chinese priorities and importance in today's age are india and indo-sino relationship first. Modi has very good relationship was the Chinese since the time he was Gujarat CM, he has made four china business trip and Chinese vis a versa to gujarat. No wonder premier spoke to him half hour on phone unlike other world leaders and is sending foreign minister to india to meet him at earliest. This June india-china celebrates panchsheel that marks 60years, that will be stepping stone to carry the relationship to next level. On immature comments above. Quality 1. Modi is a perfect statesmen, typical amdavadi(Ahmedabadi) he knows the perfect art of diplomacy for mutual benefit and trade. Quality 2. Excellent,efficient,hardworking,non-corrupt,visionary leader apart from extraordinary business sense. Quality 3. He is super-nationalistic. His nationalistic background when provoked knows to give it right back well. The Chinese are smart enough to prefer co-operation, peaceful co-existence and economic trade. In such case why would modi flare his temper for no reason now when not provoked? It's all economics both will not do anything to lose each other.
@Timorlane: Ummm... China has been collaborating with Modi even when he was CM of Gujarat. In fact most of China's investment in India is in Modi's Gujarat. Plus Chinese foreign minister is visting India to meet with Modi in June already.
BEsids you calling someone a murderer does not make him one when he has been acquitted by all courts despite a hostile central government trying its utmost to pin something on him. BEsides what happened was not mass murder but riot in which Hindus and Muslims were killed. Are you saying that Modi hates Hindus too?
Modi will make india like as Malaysia within next 10 years...would be mahathir muhammad of india..
@Timorlane:
You gonna eat your words! China FM is coming to India this june, China President is coming year end. China Premier is also expected to visit.
@Mohan: I think Indian people have found a visionary Bappu.
@Ali: he Still Killed Less muslims.... He should Have Learnt From Burma...just Kidding
Geopolitical chess game has began. Either pakistanis can catch up or pretend to ignore. The chinese are not happy for what ever is happening inside xinxang. I feel this indo sino friendship may fructify. @ali: you are such a loser. @feroze: you assesment was a practical one. @ timorlane: chinese leader may have a progeny out of one child policy but narendra modi is issue less. So dont worry. Neither of the two will tempt or be tempted.
Expected and logical move.......both countries together total 2.5+ billion people, that is roughly one third of the world population.
Immature comments from some pakistani side as above.Modi is a great person.
Modi turned out to be a sheep. he can only kill innocent poor Muslims..
Since Chinese President doesn't have a businessman son to make money from doing business with Indian exporters there are slim chances he would accept the invitation from the mass murderer
pakistan's Modi should invite American president as revenge
Pakistan may not remain China's principal ally in this region for very long, unless it can reinvent itself. The Chinese are warming up and will take the practical steps needed to ensure non aligned India does not ally with America. Modi has been treated very shabbily by the West which the clever Chinese know well, so they will woo him with goodies and win the lucrative contracts, to the consternation of Americans and Europeans. Pakistan needs to send a friendship band to a few more countries in the region. Go where there is money honey, say the Chinese.
China’s own embrace of an export-led model has helped its economy outgrow India’s fourfold since 1980... and dats coz of trade liberalisation coming much earlier in china and also decision making is extremely fast in china coz they dont need to consult anybody... just push the infra without any clearance and delay.... a thing which in india is delayed for years ......... in the end the trade deifict does remain coz we r a service sector economy and chinese being manufacturing one's... one does understand the upper hand of china.... however in future the gap shall close...........