China expects Indian PM's visit to build stronger partnership

BEIJING - China on Wednesday hoped Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first visit to the country would build trust, boost practical collaboration and promote the strategic partnership.

"We are ready to work with India, through Modi's visit, to enhance strategic trust, deepen practical cooperation and people-to-people exchanges, increase communication and coordination on major international and regional issues and make progress on building strategic partnership of cooperation oriented to peace and prosperity," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said at a daily press briefing.

The prime minister's visit, scheduled for May 14-16, will be his first trip to China since he assumed office last May.

"The visit is another important high-level interaction between the two countries following President Xi Jinping's visit to India last September," Hua said.

Xi, Premier Li Keqiang and top legislator Zhang Dejiang will all meet with Modi, Hua said.

The three-day visit will take Modi to Beijing, Xi'an, an ancient city in northwest China's Shaanxi province, and Shanghai.

"As the two most populous developing countries, and as emerging economies, China-India relations have strategic significance and global impact," Hua said, highlighting the relationship was the result of gradual exploration of mutual benefit and common development, and the resolution of concerns and differences.

Hua recalled Xi's state visit to India, stressing the two leaders made plans for the development of bilateral strategic partnership of cooperation for the next five to ten years.

The two leaders agreed to deepen bilateral cooperation and build a closer partnership, Hua said.

China is India's biggest trading partner with two-way trade totalling about $65 billion in 2013.