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Indian Navy ships in China next week, to expand strategic trust

In a sign of renewed momentum in bilateral ties, four Indian Navy ships will be docking in Shanghai next week on a goodwill visit, a key step to building trust in the maritime domain as India and China Thursday decided to fastrack crucial dialogues on Central Asia, West Asia and Africa.

A day after Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna met Chinese Vice Premier Li Xeqiang to take a big picture view of the bilateral relationship, he met his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi and held wide-ranging talks on the sidelines of the six-nation Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in the Chinese capital.

Krishna also briefly met Chinese President Hu Jintao in the Great Hall of the People after the banquet hosted for the leaders of the SCO countries.

The two ministers discussed a swathe of bilateral issues, including the contours of the maritime dialogue and intensification of economic and trade ties.
The visit by Indian ships to China signals a keen desire on part of the two rising Asian powers to build greater trust in the maritime domain, which is widely seen as a potential source of friction amid China's assertiveness in South China Sea.

The first meeting of the maritime dialogue, aimed at greater cooperation in combating piracy and cooperation in seabed research, is expected to be held soon.