2. Further development of Sino-India ties

In December 1991, Premier Li Peng visited India. The two countries signed five agreements and memoranda concerning diplomacy, border trade and cooperation on space technology. Bilateral ties took a major step forward.

In September 1993, Indian Prime Minister Narasimha Rao visited China. The two sides signed a series of documents in Beijing, including the Agreement on the Maintenance of Peace and Tranquility along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the China-India Border Area, the biggest breakthrough since boundary negotiations started in 1981. They also signed agreements on environmental and broadcasting cooperation.

In November 1996, President Jiang Zemin visited India. It was the first time a Chinese head of state had visited India.

3. A setback to bilateral ties

In May 1998, India conducted nuclear tests citing the "China threat" as an excuse. Once again bilateral ties were undermined.

In January 1999, President Kocheril Raman Narayanan repudiated the "China threat" theory at the second dialogue between Chinese and Indian scholars. In June, External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh visited China. Bilateral ties improved.

In February 2000, the two countries reached an agreement in Beijing on China's joining the World Trade Organization (WTO).

In May 2000, President K. R. Narayanan visited China and met with President Jiang Zemin and Premier Zhu Rongji. The two sides exchanged ideas on bilateral ties and international and regional issues, enhancing mutual understanding and promoting bilateral cooperation.

In January 2001, Li Peng, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), visited India. The two sides exchanged ideas on promoting Sino-Indian cooperation and reached consensus on many issues. The visit was dubbed a journey of understanding, friendship and cooperation, and helped mend Sino-Indian relations.