Surprisingly, perhaps, the first telephone call made by India's new prime minister, Narendra Modi, after taking office at the end of last month was to his Chinese counterpart, Premier Li Keqiang. Modi came to power as an outspoken defender of India's territorial rights, including regions in the Himalayas disputed with China, scenes of regular military skirmishes. But Modi was elected on pledges to restart India's stalled economic development and he sees fostering commercial ties with China as a top priority. “China and India are natural co-operative partners,” Premier Li is reported to have said in response.
