LOOKING AHEAD: Chinese Premier Li Keqiang meets with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on May 20 (MA ZHANCHENG)

In an article published in two of India's most widely read newspapers, Dainik Jagran and The Hindu, on May 20 during his visit to India, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang likened the friendship between the two neighbors—China and India—as a handshake across the Himalayas. With the huge size of the world's two most populous nations, their "handshake" links more than one third of humanity.

Despite lingering disputes, observers say bilateral relations have seen remarkable progress in recent decades. Premier Li's visit to India, the opening leg of his maiden overseas trip since taking office, was welcomed by the Indian Government and public as a positive signal for further developing these ties. While Li noted in his speech at the Indian Council of World Affairs in New Delhi that some clouds in the sky cannot shield the sunshine of Sino-Indian friendship, observers pointed out that common interests and common goals for pursuing development would spur the two neighbors to seek cooperation while managing differences.