Chinese Premier Li Keqiang On a 3-day Visit to India -Sunday May 19,2013

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang(57) arrived in New Delhi today on Sunday May 19,2013, his first overseas official visit after assuming office in March 2013 and will hold talks with his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh on all contentious issues, including the boundary dispute

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang accompanied by a senior-level delegation comprising government officials and businessmen, arrived around 3 PM and was received by Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed and senior ministry officials including Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai.
Chinese Premiere Li Keqiang waves as he is received by Indian Junior Minister for External Affairs, E. Ahamed, left, after he arrives in New Delhi, India, Sunday, May 19, 2013

Recalling his visit to India over two-and-a-half decades ago, he said, "What I saw and felt during that trip, visiting the Taj Mahal and prestigious Indian universities, research institutes, and the warmth and hospitality of the Indian people, left a lasting impact on me."  (Nearly 27 years ago he made his last trip to India)

In a written statement on his arrival in the Indian capital, Li said China regarded India as an important partner and friend and expressed the hope that his visit would inject new vigor into their cooperative partnership

Premier Li Keqiang met with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the two leaders emphasized that efforts should be made to resolve the border dispute between the two countries which led to a bloody war in 1962

Indian Foreign Ministe Salman Khurshid and his Chinese Counter part Wang Yi exchange signed documents between India and China

India's Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid, right, and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, left, exchange signed documents between the two countries - See more at: http://www.indianexpress.com/picture-gallery/today-in-pics-india-china-call-for-end-to-incursion-issue/2770-5.html#sthash.HzMackhM.dpuf

India says China is occupying 38,000 square kilometers (15,000 square miles) of its territory in the Aksai Chin plateau in the western Himalayas, while China claims around 90,000 square kilometers (35,000 square miles) in India's northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh.

During his 3-day visit in India, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is also expected to meet Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi and leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha [the lower house of Indian parliament] Sushma Swaraj.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is also scheduled to address university students in Delhi and business leaders in Mumbai, India's financial capital, before travelling on to Pakistan, Switzerland and Germany.


Note

• As per Chinese figures, cumulative Chinese investments into India till December 2011 stood at USD 575.70 million while Indian investments into China were USD 441.70 million.

• In 2012, Bilateral trade was USD 66 billion, a decline over the USD 74 billion in 2011. The two countries have set a target of USD 100 billion by 2015 for bilateral trade.

• India faces a growing trade deficit vis-a-vis China. By end of 2011, India's trade deficit was USD 27 billion. According to Chinese trade figures released in January 2013, the figure expanded to USD 29 billion by 2012.  

• India is also the largest market for project exports from China