Chinese President to visit India for first time

China’s President Xi Jinping will make his first official visit to India next week, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Tuesday. According to a press release from the ministry, Xi will pay state visits to Tajikistan, Maldives, Sri Lanka and India from September 12 to 19. Ahead of the trip, Xi met in Beijing on Tuesday with Ajit Doval, special envoy and national security adviser to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Doval conveyed a message from Modi to Xi, in which the Indian premier said he believes Xi’s upcoming state visit to India will deepen the two countries’ understanding, friendship and trust, and inject new vitality to bilateral cooperation, the report said.

“The visit will be another important milestone in the development of India-China relations,” Modi was quoted as saying.

Invited by Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, Xi will make an official visit to the country for the first time since Xi took office in late 2012. Doval told Xi that the Indian government and people will warmly welcome him, vowing joint efforts with China to ensure the visit’s success.