Beijing, June 20: While a breakthrough may elude on the vexed boundary issue, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's upcoming visit to china is expected to chart out a new dynamic roadmap for Sino-India relations in the 21st century. The six-day official visit, the first by an Indian Prime Minister since 1993, is bound to inject further momentum to the bilateral ties that has witnessed improvement and development in recent years with a frequent exchange of high-level visits and continuous, intensified exchanges and cooperation in various fields, including counter-terrorism and in the military-to-military relations, analysts said.

"As a farsighted pioneer in restoring normal Sino-Indian relations in 1979 and a senior statesman of the world today, Vajpayee's visit to China will certainly be a new milestone in further developing the relations in an overall way," former Chinese ambassador to India, Cheng Ruisheng said.

The strengthening of Sino-Indian relations through this visit will serve as a major stabilising factor for peace and security in the region, he said.

Noting that Vajpayee's visit will take place after new Chinese leaders assumed power in Beijing in March, former Chinese ambassador to India, Zhou gang said the trip would lay "solid foundation" for a 21st century-oriented good-neighbourly relationship between the two big Asian neighbours.
"The visit will impart a positive effect not only to Sino-Indian relations but also to the regional situation," Zhou, also secretary-general of the India-China Eminent Persons' Group (EPG) said.


Bureau Report