The Chinese Premier, Mr Zhu Rongji, began talks yesterday with Indian leaders in which he was expected to try to reassure them of a more even-handed approach after years of backing Pakistan.
Mr Zhu did not mention the warlike tension between India and Pakistan as he was welcomed to New Delhi on the first state visit by a Chinese leader in more than a decade. He said he was going to discuss bilateral and international issues of interest to both countries.
Mr Zhu met President Kocheril Narayanan, after a ceremonial reception at the official residence, and later started talks with the Indian Prime Minister, Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Strained ties between China and India have improved in the past two years and several agreements of economic and scientific co-operation are expected to be signed during Mr Zhu's visit.
Besides the India-China war 40 years ago, the presence in India of 120,000 exiles from Tibet is a sore point. After the 1959 revolt against Chinese rule, India allowed them to establish a government-in-exile in Dharmsala.
In New Delhi on Sunday, 500 Tibetan protesters demanded that the Indian prime minister press the Chinese leadership to hold talks with the Dalai Lama. The protesters gagged their mouths with black cloths to highlight the lack of freedom under Beijing rule and carried placards saying "Tibet belongs to Tibetans".
China, which borders India and Pakistan, has repeatedly called on the two nuclear rivals to end their military stand-off.