In the first half of this year, Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji is expected to make a maiden visit to three South Asian countries including India, said official sources said here on Monday.
"While Premier Zhu's exact schedule has not yet been conveyed to us, we expect him to visit South Asia within the first half of this year," said an official source.
Zhu is expected to visit Pakistan, India and Nepal during the three-nation tour, the first since he became Chinese Premier in March 1997 said an official source. During the visit of the chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC), Li Peng, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had met him in New Delhi and renewed his invitation to Zhu last month.
The same message was again conveyed by the foreign secretary Lalit Mansingh to Chinese assistant foreign minister Wang Yi when the latter visited New Delhi this month for the second round of the India-China security dialogue. "The Chinese side expresses its gratitude to the Indian government and Prime Minister Vajpayee for their invitations to Premier Zhu Rongji for a visit to India," Bangzao said. Bureau Report