Chinese President Xi Jinping seeks to highlight cooperation over conflict on visit to India and Nepal

Chinese leader will seek to present Beijing as regional leader by stressing importance of closer ties in meetings with South Asian leaders

While Xi wants to play down disputes, Nepal’s closer ties to China have already caused concern in New Delhi

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Xi Jinping and Narendra Modi are set to meet in the southern Indian city of Mamallapuram. Photo: AFP

Published: 8:30am, 6 Oct 2019Updated: 4:45pm, 9 Oct 2019

Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to emphasise economic and people-to-people ties in South Asia and play down ongoing regional tensions during his upcoming tour of the region.

Xi is likely to meet Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan in Beijing this week to discuss their countries’ strategic partnership – Khan is already due to attend a business event in the Chinese capital – before the Chinese leader heads to India and Nepal.

While Tuesday’s parade to mark 70 years of Communist rule emphasised Chinese military strength, Xi’s upcoming trips will seek to present Beijing as a regional and global leader by emphasising the importance of economic cooperation rather than focusing on areas of contention.

But China’s increasing inroads in South Asia under its Belt and Road development drive, including in Nepal, have sparked significant concerns from India.

New Delhi has already protested over the China Pakistan Economic Corridor which passes through Kashmiri territory that India claims as its own.

Xi is expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the southern town of Mamallapuram from October 11 to 13, Indian media reported, at a time when their governments have ushered in a reset in relations following the tense border stand-off at Doklam in 2017.

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