File photo of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is arriving in New Delhi on Sunday on a two-day visit. Mr Yi, who is coming to New Delhi as Special Envoy of President Xi Jinping, is likely to call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi today.
Mr Yi, 61, a seasoned diplomat, will also hold talks with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday.
He is also expected to call on President Pranab Mukherjee and meet the new National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
This is the first contact between the two governments after the election in India. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang spoke to Mr Modi over phone soon after he was sworn in.
During his visit, Mr Yi will meet leading Indian officials and will have in-depth exchanges on how to push forward bilateral relations, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told media briefing on Friday.
"India has formed a new government and China and India now face a new opportunities of development," he said.
While the Chinese official media and state-run think tanks projected a new momentum in trade and economic ties between the two countries considering that Mr Modi visited China four times as Chief Minister of Gujarat, Beijing also closely watched the new government's policy towards US and Japan.
China is watching the countries Mr Modi will be visiting on his first trip abroad considering that Mr Keqiang had made India his first destination abroad after taking power last year.
Chinese media has highlighted Mr Modi's plans to visit Bhutan first this month followed by Japan in July.
Mr Modi is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping at the BRICS summit in Brazil next month.
Earlier, China has expressed keen interest about the presence of President Mukherjee for celebrations marking 60 years of Panchsheel, the five principles of peace proposed by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and his Chinese counterpart Zhou Enlai in 1954.
The function is proposed to be held in Beijing on June 28.
President Jinping has already expressed his interest in visiting India after the new government took over and the details may be discussed during Mr Yi's visit. Mr Modi has already extended the invitation for the Chinese President during his telephonic conversation with Mr Keqiang.
The new Chinese leadership is keen to improve relations with India in the face of serious challenges it faces over its maritime disputes with Japan in the East China Sea and with Vietnam, the Philippines and other maritime neighbours in the South China Sea amid a major US military push into the Asia-Pacific.