New Delhi, Jan 3 : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will be paying a three-day visit to China, beginning January 13, to discuss various bilateral issues with Chinese top leaderships.

His visit comes after a gap of five years when former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee paid a visit to Beijing in June 2003.

Singh is visiting the Communist country on the invitation of Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, and will hold separate meetings with Chinese President Hu Jintao and the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China, Wu Bangguo.

Singh's much-awaited visit to China comes close on the heels of a recent joint anti-terror exercise by the militaries of the two countries in China's southwestern province of Yunnan.

In 2006, India and China signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on exchange and cooperation in the field of defence.

Twp ships of the Indian Navy also had made a port call at Qingdao in early 2007, and participated in a joint exercise with the PLA Navy. The countries also held their first ever Annual Defence Dialogue in China in November 2007.

In recent years, both countries have tried to expand trade and diplomatic ties, though territorial disputes persist.

Singh's visit is a part of the high level exchanges between India and China in recent years, including those by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao to India in April 2005, and President Hu Jintao's visit to India in November 2006. (ANI)