NEW DELHI- In an effort to repair India-China relations and take theengagement to the next level, officials are working on a bilateral visit byPrime Minister Narendra Modi to China within the next few weeks.

Officials will not confirm the venue for the visit, which will come aheadof the Prime Minister’s trip to Qingdao for the Shanghai CooperationOrganisation (SCO) meeting in June. Wuhan and Kunming are possible options,as they are closer than Beijing from Delhi.

While reports of a bilateral visit by the Prime Minister to “reset” tiesbetween the two countries have been circulating for some weeks, speculationgrew about its timing after National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval madean unannounced visit to Shanghai on Thursday and Friday and met Politburomember and Special Representative Yang Jiechi.

The NSA’s sudden visit appeared to take the External Affairs Ministryoff-guard as well. During a briefing on Thursday, after the NSA had leftfor China, the Ministry’s spokesperson said, “At this point of time,frankly, I have no information about the visit … If a visit is takingplace, we will let you know.”

A Ministry press release issued on Friday, however, said the NSA’s visitwas “part of regular, high-level engagements between India and China” inwhich Mr. Doval and Mr. Yang discussed matters of “mutual interest”.

“The two sides agreed to maintain the pace of high-level exchanges to fullyrealise the potential of a closer development partnership between India andChina,” the statement said.

An official, however, said Mr. Modi’s “visit is being worked on, and theremaybe some announcement in the next week itself”.