Indian premier to visit China
1 June 2003
Indian prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee is expected to pay an official visit to China in June, according to the Indian defence minister George Fernandes. The visit will be part of a process of fostering friendship between the two countries, which on the Indian side is motivated by China's economic success and a desire to reduce its traditional support for Pakistan. Fernandes, who once described China as the main threat to India, said his visit to the mainland in April had shown that both nations wanted peace and improved bilateral relations.