Adding a new dimension to Sino-India ties, the Congress and Communist Party of China are set to institutionalise their relationship when Sonia Gandhi undertakes a visit to Beijing from Thursday.
The United Progressive Alliance chairperson, along with Rahul Gandhi, have been invited by the CPC leadership to attend the inaugural ceremony of Beijing Olympics on Friday, a gesture that demonstrates the significance China accords to her.
Priyanka Gandhi and her husband Robert Vadra as also Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma will accompany the Congress president on her three-day visit.
During her second visit to China in a year, Sonia Gandhi will meet Vice President Xi Jin Ping, who is tipped to succeed President Hu Jintao, and discuss bilateral ties and ways to further improve these.
During the meeting in the Great Hall of People, the two leaders will also discuss ways to boost party-to-party ties.
An MoU is expected to be signed by Gandhi and Xi, who is also member of the Standing Committee of CPC, to provide for institutionalised relationship between the two parties through regular exchanges and dialogue.
Sonia Gandhi and Rahul will also attend a banquet to be hosted by President Hu on Thursday.
Sonia Gandhi is also expected to meet some other world leaders who will be assembling in Beijing to attend the Olympics.
The MoU between Congress and CPC is expected to help further improve relations between the two countries as it will expand the ambit of cooperation beyond the government level, an official said.
The decision to have such an institutionalised mechanism between the Congress and CPC was taken during Gandhi's last visit to China a year ago.
The two parties had been working to give shape to the mechanism and Gandhi's visit was chosen as the appropriate time to sign the pact, sources said.
This will be the second such MoU that Congress will have with a party of another country. Earlier, the Congress had established a similar mechanism with African National Congress of South Africa.
