Prime Minister Manmohan visits to China to attend BRICS summit

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh departed for China on Tuesday in a bid to boost economic ties between the two nations.

Manmohan Singh and his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao had agreed to take measures to promote Indian exports in China when Jiabao had visited India in December 2010. The two countries have agreed to increase bilateral trade to $ 100 billion by 2015, up from $ 60 billion in 2010.
Manmohan Singh will also meet the leaders of the BRIC nations - attend a summit in China that will include the BRIC countries - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The issue of stapled visas is also likely to come up.

Paving the way for a better BRICS summit - where Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is headed on Tuesday - was China's decision to drop its stapled visa policy for Indians belonging Jammu and Kashmir, and to issue regular visas to four Kashmiri journalists traveling with the prime minister has eased the atmosphere after a disastrous year for India-China relations

India called off defence ties between the two countries in 2010. And the two sides regularly faced off-on issues like:

- reports of border incursions

- China's separate visa policy for residents of Jammu and Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh

- the growing bilateral trade deficit and

- China's anger over the Dalai Lama's visit to Tawang.

That is why, while Dr Singh is heading to the seaside resort of Sanya for meetings with leaders of Brazil Russia and South Africa - it is his meeting with President Hu Jintao which will be the focus.

"This is a very important relationship and we, both sides have been making all efforts to try and enhance convergences between the two countries," said Vishnu Prakash, spokesperson of Indian Foreign Ministry.

And why it seems China made good on a promise Premier Wen made during his visit to Delhi in December.

'Premier Wen Jiabao said during his visit he would take note of the concerns - and he says what he means," said AI Ping.

Officials won't confirm if the granting of visas denotes a change in Chinese attitude but certainly ahead Manmohan Singh's visit, China is trying to hit the right note, relaxing policy on an issue that has bedeviled ties between New Delhi and Beijing for three years.