Chinese defense minister to visit India as rapprochement gathers pace

Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe has accepted an invitation to visit India, China said on Thursday, as a rapprochement between the two giant neighbors gathers pace. The visit is being planned by the end of this year. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed in April to open a new chapter in ties. The decision was made just months after a dispute over a stretch of their high-altitude Himalayan border. Both countries are currently in communication about Wei’s visit, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang said. Ren added that Major General Liu Xiaowu, deputy commander of China’s western military region, had visited India from July 2-6, Reuters reported.