Even as the diplomats and bureaucrats of India and China struggle to resolve the long pending border dispute, Prime Minister Narendra Modi would like to move forward and focus on economic and trade ties during his visit to China this week. Modi will visit China from May 14 to 16 along with Mongolia (May 17) and South Korea (May 18-19) in a three-nation tour. There are strong indications that no major pending issue will see a resolution. However, India will take up the issues of stapled visas and raise concerns over Chinese investment in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Apart from serious differences on the border and Arunachal Pradesh, India and China also have commercial clashes. India has highest number of anti-dumping cases against China in the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Besides, China has never been a supporter of India's entry into United Nations Security Council or the multilateral nuclear export control regimes.
"These issues often come up in discussions. Because it's a goal which has certain value for us," Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar said.
India recently protested against China's decision to invest in a $46 billion economic corridor planned through Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, announced during President Xi Jinping's recent visit to Islamabad.