IIT-Madras, China Studies Center, Special Report No. 2, July 2013
Nabeel Mancheri, Assistant Professor, National Institute of Advanced Studies
The Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visited India between 19-22 May 2013. The predominant agenda behind Li Keqiang’s visit remained economic. Li Keqiang was accompanied by a large business group with diversified interests in Indian market from telecom to power projects to information technology. China is currently facing an economic slow-down with a growth rate of less than 7.5 percent, decline in exports with a weaker demand from west and volatile inflation rate at home. Increasing India-China trade is part of the larger Chinese strategy to address its economic slow-down. It is expected that the nature of the trade relationship will change as India emerges as the biggest destination for project contracts for Chinese companies.