Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's three-day State visit to India has opened the door to greater economic cooperation between the two countries.

In the past, Sino-Indian trade has been stagnated by border disputes but is gradually picking up speed. Bilateral trade grew from 2 billion yuan ($326.26 million) in 2000 to 75.6 billion yuan in 2011, putting the nations on track to achieve their targeted goal of 100 billion yuan in 2015.

But there are issues China has to be on guard against when trading with India, such as its protectionist measures against Chinese companies. India introduced these measures because its own manufacturing sector lacks a competitive edge against China.

To solidify economic links with its South Asian neighbor, China should be open-minded concerning India's policies and help domestic companies ease trade tensions when they arise.

A China-India free trade zone is already in the pipeline. Through bilateral negotiations China can convince India to open its market. In the future, closer economic bonds between the countries can help stabilize relations.

The author is Liu Bo, a commentator.