Chinese President Xi Jinping is due to arrive in New Delhi on Wednesday for a state visit to India, one of China's most important neighbors.

The following are major exchange of visits by leaders of China and India.

On April 1, 1950, China and India established diplomatic relations. In 1954, then Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai and then Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru issued a joint declaration to officially designate the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence as guidelines for bilateral relations. The principles have been widely recognized as basic norms of international relations over the past six decades.

On Nov. 28-Dec. 1, 1996, then Chinese President Jiang Zemin paid a state visit to India, the first ever by a Chinese head of state since China and India established diplomatic ties. The two countries vowed to forge a 21st-century-oriented, constructive and cooperative partnership and signed four agreements including one on confidence building measures in the military field along the Line of Actual Control in China-India border areas.

On May 28-June 3, 2000, then Indian President Kocheril Raman Narayanan paid a state visit to China. The two sides held in-depth talks on the development of bilateral relations and agreed to work for settlement of border issues.

On Jan. 13-18, 2002, then Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji paid an official visit to India, during which the two sides signed six cooperative documents covering areas of tourism, peaceful development of outer space, water conservancy, science and culture.

On June 22-27, 2003, then Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee made an official visit to China. during which the two sides signed the Declaration on Principles for Relations and Comprehensive Cooperation between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of India, defining the goal and guiding principle of bilateral ties as well as two-way cooperation in all fields.

On April 9-12, 2005, then Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visited India to push for an all-round expansion of economic cooperation. During his visit, the two sides signed a joint statement committing themselves to establishing the Strategic and Cooperative Partnership for Peace and Prosperity and concluded the Agreement on the Political Parameters and Guiding Principles for the Settlement of the Boundary Question. China-India relations entered a new stage of comprehensive development.

On Nov. 20-23, 2006, then Chinese President Hu Jintao made a state visit to India. The two countries proposed a 10-point strategy in a joint declaration on further developing the Strategic and Cooperative Partnership between China and India.

On Jan. 13-15, 2008, then Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh paid an official visit to China, signing with China a document listing the two nations' "Shared Vision" for the 21st century. During Singh's stay, the two sides also signed a raft of cooperation documents covering the areas of construction, railway, agriculture, medicine and quality inspection.

On Dec. 15-17, 2010, then Chinese Premier Wen paid an official visit to India on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of China-India diplomatic ties. In a joint communique, the two sides declared to establish a mechanism of regular exchange of visits between Heads of State/Government and open a telephone hotline between Chinese premier and Indian prime minister. The two Asian neighbors also agreed to initiate a strategic economic dialogue to enhance macro-economic policy coordination.

On May 19-22, 2013, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang paid an official visit to India on his maiden foreign trip since assuming premiership. China and India issued a joint statement highlighting their commitment to expanding common ground in bilateral cooperation and coordination in various fields. Both sides vowed to consolidate the China-India Strategic and Cooperative Partnership for Peace and Prosperity. The two sides designated 2014 as the Year of Friendly Exchanges between China and India to mark the 60th anniversary of the launch of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence.

On Oct. 22-24, 2013, then Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh paid an official visit to China, during which the two countries signed a joint statement on A Vision for Future Development of China-India Strategic and Cooperative Partnership. The two sides also signed the Border Defense Cooperation Agreement.

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