China willing to promote Sino-Indian ties to a "new high"

From K J M Varma
Beijing, Jul 14 (PTI) China Thursday said it was
willing to work with India to increase mutual understanding
and trust so as to promote bilateral relations to a "new
high", which will enhance overall competitiveness and
influence of developing countries.
"China and India are the two biggest emerging and
developing countries in the world and strengthening
communication and cooperation between the two sides will
benefit both countries and be helpful in promoting the overall
competitiveness and influence of developing countries,"
Chinese State Councillor Dai Bingguo said here at a meeting
with Communist Party of India (Marxist) Politburo member
Sitaram Yechury.
Dai, also a high ranking Chinese diplomat, noted that
Beijing, from a long-term strategic standpoint, is willing to
work with India to increase mutual understanding and trust,
expand the scope of communication and cooperation, and promote
bilateral relations to a new high.
Dai also said that bilateral relationship between
China and India maintained a good momentum of development and
faces unprecedented advancement opportunities.
Yechury cited the huge potential for developing
bilateral ties and expressed high expectations from Indian
people and business society to cement cooperation between the
two countries.
"The Communist Party of India hopes to play a positive
role in maintaining the good development of bilateral
relations and help further ties between the two sides,"
state-run Xinhua news agency quoted Yechury as saying.

Earlier, Yechury met the head of the Organisation
Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central
Committee Li Yuanchao and drew up plans to strengthen
party-to-party relations.
Li said the CPC will continue to maintain contacts at
all levels with the CPI(M), strengthen experience exchanges in
party building and consolidate their friendly relationship.
Yechury said the CPI(M) valued its traditional
friendship with the CPC and is ready to further expand their
exchanges and cooperation, so as to promote a sound and stable
development of India-China relations.
Li, also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC
Central Committee, spoke highly of the contribution made by
the CPI(M) toward the China-India friendship.
He added that the two countries share broad common
interests. Their good-neighbourly friendship and cooperation
will exert far-reaching influence on regional and world peace
and promote stability and prosperity.
Besides CPI(M), the CPC in the recent years stepped up
its party-to-party relations with all major political parties
in India, including the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP), whose President Nitin Gadkari visited Beijing few
months ago on an official invitation. Bihar Chief Minister,
Nitish Kumar too visited China recently on the Chinese
Government invitation.