Xi stresses China-India co-development

DURBAN, South Africa - Chinese President Xi Jinping said here Wednesday that the world needs the common development of China and India and can provide sufficient room for the two neighbors' development.

Xi made the remarks during a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the sidelines of a summit of BRICS countries - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - in the South African port city of Durban.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) meets with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Durban, South Africa on Wednesday. [Photo/Xinhua]

China and India, as the world's two largest developing nations, have a similar historic mission to boost their social and economic development, Xi said.

Both countries are in an important period of strategic opportunities, he said, adding that China-India relations have broad prospects for development.

China, which regards its ties with India as one of the most important bilateral relationship, commits itself to pushing forward the two countries' strategic cooperative partnership, Xi said.

He called on the two sides to maintain high-level reciprocal visits and contacts, make full use of political dialogues and consultations at various levels to strengthen strategic and political communication.

China and India should broaden exchanges and cooperation between their armed forces and deepen mutual military and security trust, Xi said.

The Chinese president said the two countries, with the help of such cooperative mechanisms as strategic and economic dialogue, should also discuss their cooperation on large-scale infrastructure projects.

Xi also called for enhancing people-to-people exchanges and cooperation, and broadening youth exchanges.

He said the two sides should strengthen coordination and cooperation within the United Nations, BRICS, the G20 and other multilateral groupings, support each other's participation in regional cooperation, and promote peace, stability and development in Asia.