Vice President Hamid Ansari on Wednesday left on a five-day visit to China where he will hold bilateral discussions with his counterpart Li Yuanchao and attend events to mark the 60th anniversary of Panchsheel agreement.
This is the first visit of an Indian leader to China after the Narendra Modi government took over last month. It is also Ansari’s first visit to China, and the first by an Indian vice president since 1994.
“We expect substantive outcome based on the discussions between the two vice presidents. India and China have maintained regular contacts at high level. This is part of our strategic communication with each other,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin had told reporters on Tuesday.
A high-level delegation, which includes Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh, is travelling with the vice president.
Ansari is travelling to China to attend events to mark the 60th anniversary of Panchsheel at Beijing on June 28 and 29. Besides meeting his Chinese counterpart, the VP will also meet Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. He will also call on President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People.
Apart from the bilateral aspects of the VP’s visit, he will also participate in a trilateral summit on behalf of India where besides the host China, the President of Myanmar will also be present. Ansari’s first stop in China on Wednesday evening will be Xian, the ancient capital in central China known for its terracotta warriors and historical links with India through Buddhism.
