Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday to visit, seeking greater engagement between the world’s two most populous nations on trade and regional security.
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.
