China looks to step up partnership with India

BEIJING: A senior Chinese diplomat has said China will make concerted efforts with India to promote the countries’ strategic and cooperative partnership this year.

“China is willing to make joint efforts with India to continuously implement the important consensus reached between leaders of the two countries, maintain high-level exchanges, enhance strategic mutual trust, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields and properly handle issues concerning the bilateral relationship,” Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin said here yesterday.

“China hopes that the two sides will push for a better and faster development of Sino-indian strategic and cooperative partnership,” Liu said.

Liu applauded the growing momentum that China and India have maintained in developing their partnership, noting that the two nations have expanded exchange and cooperation in various fields and established effective communication and coordination on significant international and regional issues.

“A steadily growing Sino-indian partnership will not only bring benefits to the two peoples, but it will also be conducive to promoting peace, stability and prosperity in Asia.”

China and India designated last year their “year of exchange,” Liu said, adding that the activities hosted by the two sides helped the two peoples increase their mutual understanding and friendship.

The two-way trade between the two nations during the first 11 months of 2011 hit Us$67.28bil (Rm211.6bil), up 21.8% year on year.

The first meeting of the ChinaIndia strategic and economic dialogue, the bilateral consultation on defense and security, and a 500member Indian youth delegation visiting China also helped to foster closer ties, Liu added. — Xinhua