NEW DELHI, Nov 27 (AFP) - Chinese President Jiang Zemin begins a ground-breaking visit to India here Thursday, with both Asian giants hoping it will help end years of suspicion and mistrust.

Experts believe, however, that the visit is unlikely to lead to major pacts being signed over the major points of contention between the two nations their nuclear status, China's ties with Pakistan, border disagreements and Tibet.

Indian foreign secretary Salman Haider argued the event, six years after Chinese Prime Minister Li Peng's visit following a gradual thaw in relations after a 1962 border war, was significant.

"The effort is to evolve a cooperation relationship which is free from suspicions and lingering doubts," Haider said.

He added discussion on border troop reductions, on China's supply of military weaponry to Pakistan, India's bitter rival, and on Tibet would be on the agenda.

"The aim is that the India-China border should become a border of peace by clarifying and determining the line-of-control, and by stimulating mutually-beneficial transborder economic activity," he said.

India accuses China of occupying 15,000 square kilometres (5,769 square miles) of its territory in Aksai Chin follwong the border war three decades ago.

China, meanwhile, refuses to recognise the region of Sikkim, whose ruler was deposed in 1975, as part of India, nor does it endorse the British-drawn MacMahon Line of control which demarcates the Sino-Indian border.

Haider's confidence of progress is not shared by Tibetans here, who say Jiang's trip will be meaningless if he fails to invite their spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, exiled in India, for talks.

"With issues such as these burning on our front door, it is hard to conceive that Jiang's tour of India would be able to evolve a solid framework for a cooperative and constructive partnership," an Asian diplomat said.

Uday Bhaskar, assistant director at India's Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA), also warned that Zemin's visit, which will be followed by stops in Pakistan and Nepal, was unlikely to revolutionise the relationship between the world's two most populous nations.

"China and India are two big countries living rather uncomfortably together, for political, military and strategic reasons," he said.

"As two major neighbouring nations, it's very unlikely they will evolve a close relationship like the United States and Canada.

"There are sharp differences in the political systems China is a totalitarian state and a nuclear state. India is not."

While India is regarded as a "threshold" nuclear state and is believed to have the capacity to build weapons, China, said Bhaskar, was "a major nuclear power", adding: "Having one living on your border is very uncomfortable."

Sujit Dutta, a Chinese expert at the IDSA, added Jiang's tour would only have an impact if the two forged genuine policies on cooperation.

"India-China ties could be strengthened only if the cooperative elements of our bilateral relations, which are not very strong, are strengthened," Dutta said.

"Although Tibet is not high on the agenda of the talks, the Chinese are deeply concerned over what is happening in Tibet, and India also thinks China should solve the issue."

Gyaincain Norbu, Beijing's chief representative in Chinese-held Tibet, will accompany Jiang to India. The Chinese delegation also includes Vice Premier and Foreign Minister Qian Qichen, Foreign Trade Minister Wu Yi and Civil Affairs Minister, Doje Tsering, a Tibetan.

Some experts pin point trade as a potential catalyst to a better understanding between two nations which both boast huge, untapped markets and are expected to grow into economic superpowers.

Vijay Nambiar, India's ambassador to China, said the Chinese president's visit to India could be "positive", adding: "China's determined progress towards economic development will lead to a new thinking."