BEIJING, May 27 (Xinhuanet) — Narendra Modi is sworn today as India’s new prime minister, after the sweeping victory in the general election by his Bharatiya Janata Party. And Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has called Modi to congratulate him taking the office. Li said China and India are important neighbors and the world’s two biggest emerging market countries. Their relations beyond the bilateral scope and has global and strategic significance.
China will always put the relationship as one of the priority of diplomacy. Hou Na takes a look at how Modi’s new role could affect China-India relations. India is now about to enter the “Modi Era”. The Congress Party has been mired in corruption scandals and accused of being a dynasty run party, Narendra Modi is seen as a sharp contrast.
His challenges are many: reviving the Indian economy, removing corruption, creating jobs and getting rid of the persistent inflation. One of the most important tasks is to get along with his neighbors.
Zhou Gang is a former Chinese Ambassador to India. He believes that future relations with India will soon become a new focus in China’s big-country diplomacy – in bilateral ties, in the G20 and BRICS groups, and in the global efforts on climate change.
China is willing to work with India’s new government to maintain high-level visits, strengthen cooperation in all fields and upgrade their partnership to a higher level. This year has been set as a Year of Friendly Exchanges between the two countries. China says it wants to consolidate political trust and expand cooperation in such areas that include industrial parks, railways, energy and urbanization.
Modi is expected to adopt an economy-driven foreign policy to have better relations with its close neighbours. China is definitely one of the most important one. The enhanced China-India ties could help the two countries compare notes and learn from each other’s successes and failures in matching government and market forces, and in the process, also benefit other developing countries.