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Wen forges new links with India
12/4/2005 8:10

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh agreed yesterday to create a "strategic partnership for peace and prosperity" between the two Asian countries, sealing their agreement with a set of accords aimed at boosting bilateral relations.
The two leaders reached common views on expanding friendly and mutually-beneficial cooperation in a wide-range of fields between the two countries.
The two governments also signed an agreement on political guiding principles for solving the border issue between China and India.
During the three-hour talks, Singh said Wen's visit is a milestone in the bilateral relationship.
Developing relations with China is a most important part of India's diplomacy as India deals with India-China relationship not only from the perspective of bilateral relations, but also from the regional and world perspective, the Indian prime minister said.
He said promotion of exchanges and cooperation between India and China is not only the common view of people from all walks of life in India, but also the practical requirement for ensuring national development and people's welfare of India.
Wen put forward a six-point proposal:
Political clarification of the status of relations to push the relations to a new high;
Widening exchanges and coordinating and cooperating closely;
Deepening economic and trade cooperation to seek mutual benefits;
Expanding cultural and people-to-people exchanges;
Establishing mutual trust in security to promote regional cooperation; and
Speeding up the negotiations on border demarcation to ensure the safety of border areas.
Singh said India is willing to work together with China to make the India-China border as a link of peace and friendship.
The two leaders also exchanged views on the situation in South Asia, with the Chinese premier welcoming the efforts by India and Pakistan to improve their relations.
Wen said that China is not seeking any interests for its own in South Asia and that China's promotion of relations with South Asian nations is not against any third party. He added that China will play a constructive role in promoting peace and development in South Asia.
The two leaders also attended the signing ceremony of a number of agreements on cooperation in the fields including finance and civil aviation.
India is the final leg of Wen's four-nation South Asia tour which has taken him to Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

 



 Xinhua