Chinese FM Wang Yi calls on Modi

New Delhi: Special Envoy of the Chinese president and Foreign Minister Wang Yi today called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and conveyed his government’s keenness to engage with the new Indian dispensation to strengthen cooperation in key areas. A day after he held three-hour-long talks with his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj, Wang called on Modi at the Race Course Road office in New Delhi. During the call, the external affairs minister was also present.[caption id=“attachment_1562989” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi calling on Prime MinisterNarendra Modi, in New Delhi on 09 June 2014. Image courtesy PIB[/caption] Sent here by Chinese President Xi Jinping as his Special Envoy to meet with new leadership, Wang is also understood to have conveyed China’s support for the development of India. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang was the first foreign Head of Government to call up Modi after he took over as prime minister. The Chinese prime minister had conveyed his government’s desire to establish robust partnership with the new government during a call to Modi, who expressed keenness to work closely to deal with any “outstanding issues”. Modi had also noted that China was always a “priority” in India’s foreign policy and welcomed greater economic engagement between the two countries. China has already conveyed its interest in having a top Indian leader attend the 60th anniversary of Panchsheel, the five principles enunciated jointly by former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and his then Chinese counterpart Zhou Enlai in 1954. China is hosting a function to mark the occasion on 28 June in which a high-level delegation from Myanmar, which too was associated with Panchasheel concept, is expected to participate. China had already conveyed to India its President Xi Jinping’s wish to visit New Delhi. Xi and Modi will have an opportunity to meet during the next BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Summit to be held in Brazil in July. Chinese leadership shared familiarity with Modi as he visited China four times during his long tenure as chief minister of Gujarat. His victory in the general elections was widely welcomed in the Chinese official media. PTI