By Li Hongmei

Days before Li Keqiang kicks off his 4-nation visit, his first overseas trip as Chinese Premier, Vice Foreign Minister Song Tao highlighted China's good- neighborly foreign policy at a news briefing on Thursday.

Li's week-long trip, scheduled on May 19-27, will start with India visit, then Pakistan, Switzerland and Germany.

Speaking about India, Song said China will work hard with India to resolve the border dispute at "an early date".

"China and India have historical border issues, but these are outweighed by our mutual interests and cooperation," said Song.

"We have the wisdom and resourcefulness to properly manage differences, and we have the ability to prevent differences from affecting the overall growth of China-India relations," he said.

With a sound momentum, "the US$100-billion trade by 2015 is expected to be realized on schedule," said Chinese vice commerce minister Jiang Yaoping at the same briefing.

Chinese companies have completed projects in India worth US $ 35.1 billion, with India emerging as one of the biggest destinations for project contracts for China by March this year.

At the same time, Song said Pakistan continues to serve China's s strategic interests.

"China-Pakistan relations have stood the test of time," said Song, the two countries have had "mutually beneficial relationship" for decades, and changes in the international landscape will not affect their "traditional friendship".

The timing that Premier's visit also coincides with Pakistan's just concluded parliamentary election also highlights "a high degree of political mutual trust and special friendship between China and Pakistan," said Song Tao.