Red carpet welcome awaits Manmohan Singh in Beijing

Agencies Posted: Jan 12, 2008 at 1801 hrs
Beijing, January 12: Seeking to add greater thrust to economic ties and momentum to the boundary talks, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrives in Beijing on Sunday to a red carpet welcome on a three-day maiden visit to China.

During the visit confined to Beijing, Singh would hold talks with the Chinese President Hu Jintao and his counterpart Wen Jiabao on an entire range of bilateral issues and on matters of global and regional concern.

The rising trade deficit with China and further boosting of bilateral trade which, according to latest figures has reached USD 38.6 billion in 2007, would also top the agenda of Singh on his long awaited trip with a high-power business delegation.

"I am going with an open mind to hold free and frank discussions on all issues of common interest with a view to shaping a relationship that befits our two countries and our future generations," Singh said in an interview to China's official Xinhua news agency ahead of his trip.

Special Representatives of the two countries on the boundary issue, who had held three rounds of discussions in 2007, are also expected to meet informally on the sidelines of Singh's visit, the fifth by an Indian Prime Minister to China so far.

Several pacts, including between the state-run railways and covering housing, geo sciences, land resource management and traditional medicine, would be signed by the two sides.