The friendship between China and India and their "mutually
beneficial cooperation will change the look of Asia and the world
at large", President Hu Jintao told Sonia Gandhi, president of
India's ruling Congress Party on Friday.
Gandhi met with Premier Wen Jiabao, too, and exchanged views on
a range of bilateral and party-to-party issues with the two
leaders.
With leaders on both sides appreciating the steadily growing
bilateral ties, Hu, also general secretary of the Communist Party
of China (CPC) Central Committee, said the CPC and the Chinese
government have always tried to develop ties with India from a
strategic and global point of view.
The CPC is willing to maintain the good momentum in developing
relations with major political parties in India, Hu said, and
pledged to enhance the exchange of young politicians between the
CPC and the Congress Party.
Gandhi, too, said she would like to see more active
party-to-party exchanges.
The widow of former Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi is the
first leader of a foreign political party to meet Hu and Wen since
the conclusion of the 17th CPC National Congress on October 21.
Sonia Gandhi's visit shows the great importance the two sides
attach to the development of bilateral ties, Hu said.
Her five-day visit to China comes just before Indian Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh's impending visit later this year.
The Congress Party chief said she treasured the rare honor
bestowed on her, and was impressed by the achievements of the
Chinese people as great changes had taken place since her last
visit.
Wen recalled his meeting with Sonia Gandhi when she accompanied
her husband to China in 1988. At that time, he said, late leader
Deng Xiaoping told Rajiv Gandhi that without the development of
China and India, the next century could not be called "the century
of Asia".
China hopes to see a prosperous India because the two countries,
being the most populous and among the largest developing countries,
are neighbors, friends and partners, Wen said.
Sonia Gandhi delivered a speech at Tsinghua University to about
50 students on Saturday.
"We may well have different views and different perspectives on
both bilateral and global issues. That is only natural," Gandhi
said.
"However, I have no doubt that there is no problem that can not
be sorted out through free and frank dialogue and discussion."
In her 20 minute speech, Sonia Gandhi also spoke highly of
China's progress in recent years, saying that the two countries
"have much to contribute to one another."
"People in our country admire the tremendous progress China has
made since it began its economic reforms in 1978."
Gandhi's speech comes nearly 20 years after her husband, then
Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, gave a speech to the same university
during his official visit in 1988. He was assassinated in 1991.
She will also visit Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi Province, and one
of China's ancient capitals famous for the terracotta warriors, and
Shanghai during her five-day visit.
(China Daily October 28, 2007)