New Delhi, India (BBN)-India and China are likely to enter into a landmark agreement during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the neighbouring country to create a platform for cooperation between Indian states and Chinese provinces that will help promote bilateral trade and investments.
"The two countries hope to agree to create a platform that will enhance cooperation between chief ministers of India and governors of Chinese provinces. This could be concluded during PM Modi's visit to China in May," China's Ambassador to India Le Yucheng told ET, reports The Economic Times.
The first such framework between the two countries will be inspired by similar platforms that China has with the US and Russia.
"States and provinces are engines of growth and this platform would increase bilateral trade and investments, and people-to-people contact," the envoy said, adding such platforms have helped forge better ties with the US and Russia.
India does not have such a platform with any country, but some prominent states in the country have partnerships with their counterparts across the globe.
Several chief ministers have been visiting various countries in search of investments, technology and market.
A memorandum of understanding on increasing the number of cities in the list of sister-city cooperation between the two countries is also expected during Modi's maiden trip to China as PM, Le indicated.
During Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to India in September, a pact was signed to make Shanghai and Mumbai sister cities.
A pact was also signed in Gujarat during Xi's trip to make Ahmedabad a sister city of Guangzhou.
In 2013, the Manmohan Singh government had signed a pact to establish sister city relations between Delhi & Beijing, Bengaluru & Chengdu and Kolkata & Kunming to foster closer ties.
BBN/SK/AD-24Mar15-12:10pm (BST)