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Modi eyes stronger economic ties, AIIB leadership role in China trip

NEW DELHI — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive in China next week for his first official visit since he took office last year, the governments of the two countries announced yesterday.

During his May 14 to 16 visit, Mr Modi will probably seek to further discuss agreements on high-speed rail and civilian nuclear power development. PHOTO: AP

During his May 14 to 16 visit, Mr Modi will probably seek to further discuss agreements on high-speed rail and civilian nuclear power development. PHOTO: AP

NEW DELHI — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive in China next week for his first official visit since he took office last year, the governments of the two countries announced yesterday.

The trip comes as the world’s two most populous countries seek to strengthen their economic ties against the backdrop of contentious territorial disputes.

During his May 14 to 16 visit, which will take him to Xi’an, Beijing and Shanghai, Mr Modi will probably seek to further discuss agreements on high-speed rail and civilian nuclear power development concluded during a trip to India by Chinese President Xi Jinping in September last year.

He may also have his eyes on another prize: A leadership position for India in the China-initiated Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). The new bank, of which India is a founding member, is currently working out its management structure ahead of an expected launch later this year.

China, for its part, is seeking greater cooperation with India in its ambitious initiative to build new maritime and land links across Asia along the route of the ancient Silk Road, a programme referred to as One Belt, One Road.

China and India have growing commercial links and deep historical ties, but their recent history has been overshadowed by suspicion and the two have yet to sort out a festering border dispute.

Underscoring the lack of trust, Mr Modi’s official account on Weibo, a Chinese microblogging site, attracted a barrage of comments demanding he acknowledge that Arunachal Pradesh is Chinese territory.

Mr Modi’s first comment in Chinese on his Weibo account, set up on Monday, was: “Hello China! Looking forward to interacting with Chinese friends through Weibo.”

He quickly gained thousands of followers and thousands more shared his message across the microblogging site, the Hindustan Times reported.

Many Chinese users, however, were quick to bring up the border dispute between the two nations.

“Welcome to China, but you have to know that south Tibet belongs to China,” said one user, echoing the Chinese government’s official stand.

“You are very brave. Let’s discuss the south Tibet problem,” said another user.

The nationalist Indian Prime Minister has been keen to resolve the territorial spat, which has clouded a rapidly expanding business relationship.

However, there is no simple solution to a conflict that largely dates back to British colonial decisions about Tibet.

The disagreement over the 3,500km border in the Himalayas led to a brief war in 1962 and involves large swathes of remote territory.

China claims more than 90,000sq km disputed by New Delhi in the eastern sector of the Himalayas. Much of that forms the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, which China calls South Tibet.

India says China occupies 38,000sq km of its territory on the Aksai Chin plateau in the west.

In September, the two armies faced off in the Ladakh sector in the western Himalayas just as Mr Xi was visiting India for the first summit talks with Mr Modi.

It is far from the first time the issue has cast a cloud over bilateral talks. During Mr Xi’s visit to India last year, Chinese soldiers reportedly crossed into the contested territory.

Further straining relations, India is home to the Tibetan government-in-exile, located in the country’s northern city of Dharamsala. The group, which was formerly led by the Dalai Lama and claims to be the legitimate government of Tibet, has long been a thorn in China’s side.

After his trip to China, Mr Modi will proceed to Mongolia for the first-ever visit there by an Indian Prime Minister, followed by a visit to South Korea on May 18 to 19, according to India’s Ministry of External Affairs. AGENCIES

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