New Delhi, May 8 (KNN) In an interview to Time Magazine, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India competes with China when it comes to commerce and trade.
 
Modi said given the current economic situation in the world, the two countries are at a stage where “we cooperate with China at the international stage but we also compete with China when it comes to commerce and trade.”
 
When asked about China increasing its assertiveness and influence on the world stage including in the South Asia, he said it was a “very natural” tendency for nations to increase their influence in the international space.
 
When asked to convey a special message to President Xi through the interview, Modi said, “I firmly believe that the relationship between two countries…should be such that to communicate with each other there should really not be a need for us to go through a third entity. That is the level of relationship that we currently have.”
 
Modi will start his three-day visit to China on May 14. Modi will be hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the ancient Chinese city of Xian, the capital of the Chinese leader’s home province.
 
The two leaders will have an informal dialogue on a host of issues before settling for formal talks on May 15 in Beijing.
 
Besides Xi, Modi will hold talks with Premier Li Keqiang and Chairman of the China’s legislature, the National People’s Congress (NPC). (KNN Bureau)