Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrives in New Delhi for talks with new Indian government

Foreign minister Wang Yi met his Indian counterpart yesterday in New Delhi in the first high-level talks between the Asian rival giants since Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took over.

Wang said his two-day visit as a special envoy of President Xi Jinping was to "cement our existing friendship and explore further cooperation".

"China is ready to work with our Indian friends for an even brighter future of our strategic and cooperative partnership," Wang said in an interview with The Hindu newspaper published yesterday.

Despite his hardline nationalist reputation, Modi has been making overtures to traditional rivals China and Pakistan since his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swept to power last month.

The new Indian leader has invited Xi to visit, and Wang told the newspaper that the president has agreed to come later this year.

Wang, who arrived early yesterday, shook hands with India's new foreign minister, Sushma Swaraj, and smiled and waved to media on the steps of government offices before heading inside.