Chinese Premier Li Keqiang arrives; to hold talks with PM on boundary, water issues

| May 19, 2013 

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang arrives; to hold talks with PM on boundary, water issues

01:53

NEW DELHI: Nearly 27 years after he made his last trip to India, Li Keqiang arrived here today on his first overseas official visit as Chinese Premier. He will hold talks with his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh on all contentious issues, including the boundary dispute later this evening.

Li, 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.

Shortly after his arrival on a three-day visit to India, which is his first overseas stop after assuming office in March, Li will be holding restricted talks with Singh, who will also host a dinner for the visiting dignitary at his official residence which will be attended by among others members of major political parties, including BJP and SP.

Ahead of his visit, Li had said the fond memories from the visit, which he made 27 years back, also made him choose India for his first overseas visit.

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."

"In a few days' time I will make India the first stop of my first overseas visit as a premier of China. I have made this decision not just because India is an important neighbour and one of the populous countries of the world but also because of the seeds of friendship sown during my own youth," he had said.

Asserting that India thinks "very highly" of Li's gesture of making the country his first overseas stop after assuming charge, Spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs Syed Akbaruddin said such high-level exchanges are aimed at enhancing trust and understanding as well "exhibit sensitivity" to each other's concerns.

Apart from trade, India is also the largest market for project exports from China. 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.

Another issue which will be raised by India is expected to be its concern over the Chinese proposal to construct three more dams across the Brahmaputra river which originates in Tibet.

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India has been pressing China to have either a water commission or an inter-governmental dialogue to deal with water issues as under the current Expert Level Mechanism (ELM), the two countries only share hydrological information.

On his second-leg of journey to Mumbai, officials said Li will attend a meeting with business leaders and visit Tata Consultancy Services facility.

The Chinese Premier will also meet family members of late Dwarkanath Shantaram Kotnis, an Indian physician dispatched to China to provide medical assistance during the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1938.