Foreign and Military Affairs
Indian president 'looking forward to' China visit
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-05-25 12:16
 |
Large Medium Small |
NEW DELHI - Indian President Pratibha Patil said on Tuesday that she is looking forward to her visit to China on May 26-31 and holding discussions with Chinese leaders.
In an interview with Xinhua, Patil said that she is particularly pleased that her visit coincides with the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and China.
She said that China is India's largest neighbor and developing friendly cooperation with China is one of the priorities of India' s foreign policy.
| ||||
She said Chinese President Hu Jintao's state visit to India in 2006 had generated a great deal of goodwill between the two countries.
"It was a major milestone in our relationship. During that visit, we agreed on a 10-pronged strategy to expand and intensify our Strategic and Cooperative Partnership, which imported depth and momentum to our bilateral ties," she said.
Patil said that during the visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to China in 2008, the two countries concluded a "Shared Vision for 21st Century" which forms the basis for bilateral cooperation on global issues.
"We both agree that our partnership goes beyond the purely bilateral and has an important global dimension," she said.
The president said that India and China are two large and populous countries and both of them focus on enhancing economic growth and social progress, so there are many areas in which the two countries can exchange views and learn from each other's experiences.
She said that as developing nations, India and China have similar approaches and viewpoints on many global issues. The two counties have successfully carried out close cooperation within such international frameworks as G-20, BRIC countries and BASIC countries. The two countries coordinated with each other at the UN Copenhagen Climate Change Summit. The two countries can also cooperate in the reform of international financial institutions.
On trade relations, Patil said she is confident that India and China can attain the goal of increasing their bilateral trade to $60 billion this year. But she wishes that bilateral trade can expand in a more balanced, sustainable and diversified way.
Patil said that India welcomes investment by Chinese companies and will encourage Indian companies to invest in China.
"Chinese companies are active in India's infrastructure projects, such as highways, airports, power and steel plants. I want to tell the Chinese businesspersons that they are welcome in India," she said.
On cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, Patil said that India and China have had cultural contacts over thousand years.
"Either the visit of Xuan Zhuang to India or than of Indian scholar monks Kashyapamatanga and Kharmartna to China, there has been a continuous interaction. In the last century, Rabindranath Tagore and Dr. Dwarkanath Kotnis became famous in China as representatives of the Indian people," she said.
The president said the China Festival being held in India and India Festival being held in China this year will spark interest of people of both countries in eath other's culture.
She said the two countries need to increase contacts and understanding between youth.
"I am encouraged that during his visit to India in 2008, President Hu Jintao suggested that we institute reciprocal visits of youth delegations between India and China. Such initiatives go a long way in building future bonds," she said.
Patil said that she would like to congratulate the government of China on hosting the spectacular Shanghai World Expo and she will visit both Chinese and Indian pavilions.
She said she is also happy to have the privilege to visit Luoyang and inaugurate an Indian style Buddhist temple on the grounds of the White Horse monastery.
"I will dedicate this temple as a gift from the people of India to the people of China, which will encourage greater cultural and people-to-people contact," she said.
