The heads of state of China and India are meeting in Wuhan this week, with the aim of strengthening trade links and cooperation between the two nations.

Chinese president Xi Jinping and Indian prime minister Narendra Modi will be holding an informal two-day summit on April 27th and 28th, with free trade, greater unity between developing nations and a shared commitment to equity and justice all on the agenda.

Luo Zhaohui, China's ambassador to India, told the Hindustan Times that the meeting is designed to further strengthen and improve relations between the nations at a time when both are at an important stage of economic development and modernization.

China is India's largest trading partner, but the countries have not always seen eye-to-eye on trade policy. In recent times, this has resulted in Indian concerns delaying the progress of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, a multilateral trade deal heavily backed by China.

Mr Luo said: "It’s natural for neighbours to have differences. When differences can't be solved for now, we should properly manage them and focus on cooperation. Our consensus and cooperation outweigh differences and competition."