President leaves for China visit

New Delhi, May 24: President Pranab Mukherjee today embarked on a four-day visit to China with an aim to bolster economic ties between the two countries and seek cooperation for combating designs of terror groups.

During his first state visit to China, the President will be meeting his counterpart Xi Jinping, Premier Le Keqiang and other top leaders.

He is likely to raise the issue of China blocking India's bid to get a UN ban on Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar and its insistence on India signing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) to get membership of the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

India had countered the Chinese contention of signing NPT before becoming a member of NSG as "confusion" as NPT allows civil nuclear cooperation with non-NPT countries.

Ahead of his state visit to China, Mukherjee had told the Chinese state-run television that India seeks a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement of the boundary question which will help in achieving full potential of Sino-India relationship.

"We seek a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement of the boundary question and, pending the boundary settlement, to maintain peace and tranquillity in border areas.

Both sides should strive to ensure that outstanding issues are addressed in a manner that demonstrates mutual sensitivity to each other's concerns, interests and aspirations," he had said last week.

PTI