ina attaches great significance to ties with India: FM

CHINA-INDIA
Ch
K J M Varma
Wuhan (China), Nov 15 (PTI) Ahead of Premier Wen Jiabao's
India visit next month, China has said it attached great
significance to its ties with New Delhi as the relationship
had global influence and strategic importance.
Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi stated this during
his meeting with External Affairs Minister S M Krishna here
on Sunday night on the sidelines of the trilateral talks among
Russia, India and China, which form the RIC grouping.
The two countries' communication and coordination are
also becoming closer on the international and regional issues
and China attached great importance to the strategic
cooperative partnership with India, Yang was quoted as saying
by the state-run Xinhua news agency.
The Chinese Foreign Minister noted that this year marked
the 60th anniversary of the establishment of Sino-India
diplomatic relations and praised the continuing development of
bilateral ties over the past six decades, featuring frequent
high-level exchanges and continuously enhanced bilateral
cooperation in all areas.
Apparently referring to the perception of India and China
being rivals, he said leaders of the two countries have agreed
that the world is large enough to accommodate the common
development of both sides, and broad enough for them to
improve their cooperation.
Yang stressed that China was willing to work with India
to seriously implement the consensus reached by their leaders
and strengthen bilateral communication, coordination and
cooperation to promote the development of ties in areas of
politics, economics, trade and culture.
The two ministers, whose meeting came ahead of Premier
Wen's India visit in December, also noted that bilateral trade
has increased with an annual growth rate of more than 30 per
cent since 2004.
Additionally, official statistics here showed that the
trade volume of the two countries had reached around USD 45.43
billion from January to September, up 43.7 per cent compared
with the same period last year. The two countries have set the
target of USD 60 billion by the end of this year.
Krishna, while inviting Chinese investment and expertise
in India's massive infrastructure projects, also sought
openings for Indian goods and services, specially IT and
pharmaceuticals, in Chinese markets to reduce the trade
imbalance.
The issue of stapled visas for the residents of Jammu and
Kashmir and India's request to China, one of the five veto-
wielding members of the UN Security Council, to support its
bid for a permanent UNSC seat did not figure in the official
reports.
The two countries have lined up several meetings,
including their strategic dialogue on Monday. This would be
followed by the 14th round of talks on the boundary issue
towards the end of this month here. PTI KJV
HMI


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