Wednesday 14 May 2003 Sino-Indian relations  | Indian officials have announced that a landmark visit to China by prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee will take place in June. It will be the first visit of an Indian prime minister to China for more than a decade and is the culmination of a recent steady thawing in previously chilly diplomatic relations. This report from Jill McGivering: |
 Listen to the story Sino-Indian relations have moved from cold to cordial. Now both sides are trying to go further and establish a friendlier, more co-operative climate. There's a lot to overcome.
China is a traditional ally of Pakistan and accused by India of helping Islamabad develop its nuclear programme. China has watched India's own nuclear programme with just as much alarm - evidence, it says, of Indian aggression.
But prime minister Vajpayee's visit is the strongest sign yet of plans to turn things around. Motives are partly economic. China wants to learn from India's success in IT and expand international outsourcing, such as call centres, a booming sector in India. Indian manufacturers complain of being overwhelmed by cheap Chinese goods now flooding India's domestic market and want to find ways of competing.
Greater warmth between these two Asian giants would also affect the broader strategic picture.
Listen to the words Sino Chinese cordial warm and friendly (formal word) climate here: atmosphere ally friend, supportive country to turn things around here: to make an improvement IT short for 'information technology' international outsourcing the practice of companies in one country giving work to companies in another country call centres large offices in which a company's employees provide information to its customers, or sell or advertise its goods or services by telephone flooding overwhelming, dominating broader strategic picture wider political situation and perspectives  Read more about this story | |  | | | SEARCH IN LEARNING ENGLISH | | | |
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