China, India agree to cement political, economic ties

Chinese President Hu Jintao (L) and India's President Pratibha Patil inspect honour guards inside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing May 27, 2010. [Photo/Agencies]

BEIJING - China and India have agreed to enhance political, economic ties and bolster people-to-people contact during a meeting between Indian President Pratibha Patil and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao here on Thursday.

It is the Indian president's first official visit to China and the first visit to China by an Indian head of state in the last decade.

In the meeting Wen proposed the two states treat bilateral ties from a strategic and long-term point of view, enhance high-level communication and bolster cooperation, in a bid to benefit the two peoples and the world.

"Practicing mutual respect conforms with the fundamental interests of the two states and peoples and will spark new hope for human beings," Wen Jiabao said in the meeting.

Patil said India and China share broad common interests in the bilateral and multilateral fields.

She pledged to boost high-level contact, cement economic and trade ties, promote two-way investment and people-to-people contact, and strengthen coordination on major international affairs with China.

In her meeting with Chinese top legislator Wu Bangguo, Patil said all the parties of India support the development of relations with China.

Wu, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, said to promote peaceful co-existence and common development of the two countries meets the fundamental interests of both sides, and complies with the mainstream trend of peace and development in Asia and the world.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (R, front) meets with visiting Indian President Pratibha Patil (L, front) in Beijing, May 27, 2010.[Photo/Xinhua]

"China and India do not pose as threat to each other and their common interests far outweigh differences," he added.

Wu said he hopes the two sides understand and respect each other's core interests and major concerns, properly handle their differences, and seek common development and a win-win situation.

"A good China-India relationship makes both winners while a confrontational one makes both losers," he added.

Patil said the two countries had conducted sound cooperation not only in bilateral field but also under multilateral frameworks including BRIC and G20.

The cooperation between India and China in the Copenhagen climate change summit served as a good example of bilateral cooperation in global affairs, she added.

Patil arrived here Wednesday for the week-long state visit.