India-China relations go beyond 'plain arithmetic', says PM Modi

As Chinese President Xi Jinping embarks on a landmark visit to India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the relationship between the two countries goes beyond "plain arithmetic" and he was confident that the neighbours can "script history" by enhancing cooperation.

Reflecting the importance India attaches to the visit, the Prime Minister said India and China have a "unique chemistry" that can make for a defining moment and create a bright future for the entire mankind.

He summarised the possibilities of the bilateral ties moving ahead as 'Inch' meaning India and China towards Miles - Millennium of Exceptional Synergy - and said every inch both cover can "rewrite history" of humanity and every mile crossed will go a long way in making the planet a better place.

"India and China are bound by history, connected by culture, and inspired by rich traditions. Together they can create a bright future for the entire mankind," Modi told Chinese journalists based in the national capital.

Elaborating on the nature of the relationship, he said, "The arithmetic and chemistry of our relations convince me that together we can script history and create a better tomorrow for all of mankind."

Xi will arrive at Ahmedabad on Wednesday on a three-day visit to India which will be the third by any Chinese President to India. President Hu Jintao had visited India in 2006 and Jiang Zemin in 1996.

Referring to the large population base of India and China, the Prime Minister said that when India and China gain, almost 35 per cent of the world's population benefits.

He said when India and China strengthen relations, almost 35 per cent of the world's people come closer and when the economic cooperation increases, lives of almost 35 per cent of the world's population undergoes qualitative changes.

Modi hoped that India and China together cover several miles and said several miles that take not only the two nations forward but also all of Asia and humankind towards the path of progress and harmony.

The two leaders will hold talks on two occasions - first when the Prime Minister will host a private dinner for the visiting dignitary after his arrival in Ahmedabad on September 17 and then in New Delhi on September 18 in restricted and delegation-level format.

In response to a question on how he foresees India and China relations developing, Modi explained that the ties go beyond plain arithmetic. They have a unique chemistry that can make for a defining moment.

Modi will welcome the Chinese President, accompanied by a high-level delegation including two senior members of Politburo and the Chinese Commerce Minister, at his hotel in Ahmedabad.

Xi is expected to announce investments to the tune of billions of dollars in India's railway, manufacturing and infrastructure projects.

China's foreign exchange reserves, the largest in the world, reached a record US $3.95 trillion in March and it plans to invest around US $500 billion overseas in the next five years, a share of which is expected to find India's way.

With growing Outbound Direct Investment (ODI) which crossed US $90 billion in 2013, China's investments in India, which so far remained a paltry US $400 million, mostly in Gujarat, are now expected to surpass Japan's.

On Monday, the government had said it expects that the visit will address the "interests and concerns" of the two countries and that "all substantive" issues having bearing on the ties including the boundary dispute will be discussed.

The 60-year-old Xi, who took over as the head of the ruling Communist Party in 2012 and President and military chief in March last year, had been sending clear signals of boosting bilateral relations with India.