Ties with India among the most important: Hu

BEIJING - On the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between India and China, President Hu Jintao said the nation regards its relationship with India as one of its most important bilateral ties. China was ready to strengthen friendship, deepen mutual trust and expand cooperation with India, Hu added.

According to a notice on the foreign ministry's website, Hu and his Indian counterpart Pratibha Patil exchanged congratulatory messages on the occasion.

Patil in her message said that India's ever-growing relationship with China was of global and strategic significance. The close cooperation between the two nations will be conducive to peace and stability in Asia and the world at large, she said.