China's official media today highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's plans to visit the Communist nation in May, with commentaries asking China to dispel India's doubts about the ambitious Silk Road projects citing the influence it wields in South Asia.

State-run newspapers - China Daily and Global Times - besides the ruling Communist Party of China-run People's Daily featured External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj's meeting with President Xi Jinping on front pages while the state TV CCTV extended elaborate coverage for her engagements.

Modi to visit China in May was the headline in Global Times with Xi's remarks that China and India need to "patiently manage differences". His visit will likely deepen mutual trust, seek investment and trade opportunities for India and discuss border issues, Hu Zhiyong, a research fellow with the Institute of International Relations at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times.