My China visit to deepen bilateral relations; 21st century belongs to Asia : Modi

"I was waiting for a long time for the China trip," the PM said on Wednesday.

"I am looking forward to the trip to China... the 21st century belongs to Asia,"he said to China's state-run CCTV ahead of his visit. 

The Prime Minister, who spoke in Hindi, hoped that his visit will "further deepen" India-China relations and set a "new milestone" for Asia and developing countries.

"I believe that my trip to China will not only deepen the China-India friendship, but also set a new milestone for the relations between developing countries in Asia as well as around the world. There is no doubt about that," he said.

"Interacted with the Chinese media, where I highlighted the strong potential of India-China ties," Modi tweeted.

"I talked about our shared responsibility to help developing nations, especially in poverty eradication," he added.

In another tweet, he said, "Asia, being the land of Buddha has the responsibility to ensure that this is a century free from war."

Modi arrives in the ancient city of Xian on Thursday at the start of a visit to China where he will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping.

"It definitely indicates the significance our president puts on Mr. Modi's visit,"  Li Li, an India expert at the government-backed China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations has been quaoted by NDTV as saying.

Top Chinese leaders almost never travel outside Beijing to meet senior foreign guests on bilateral visits. President Xi Jinping holding meeting with Modi in Xian is said to be an indicator to China's will to normalise relations with India leaving behind the past bitterness.

"From the Chinese side, we were very impressed by the hospitality extended by Mr. Modi during Xi Jinping's visit to India," he added, referring to PM Modi greeting President Xi in his home state of Gujarat when the Chinese leader visited India last year.

However,there are several thorns in the relationship between the two great powers of Asia- ranging from border disputes to China's proximity to India's arch rival Pakistan.

Indian foreign secretary S Jaishankar told a press conference on Tuesday that New Delhi had raised the issue of a proposed China-Pakistan economic corridor with Beijing that would pass through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

President Xi had announced the trade and transit route from Pakistan's southern Gwadar port on the Arabian Sea to China's western Xinjiang as part of a $46 billion investment programme during his visit to long-time ally Pakistan last month.

PM Modi's new account on Chinese social media site Weibo, China's version of Twitter, was teeming with messages asking him to "return" Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims as  South Tibet.

Modi noted that he had met President Xi three times during the last one year and held extensive talks on a wide range of issues.