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New Indian PM seeks better ties with China
May 29, 2014, 12:19 pm

India and China have been conducting extensive talks on a historical border dispute for several years [Getty Images]

India and China have been conducting extensive talks on a historical border dispute for several years [Getty Images]

The new Indian leadership has said New Delhi sees China as a “priority” in its foreign policy and would like to boost greater economic engagement between the two countries.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a telephone conversation on Thursday with Premier Li Keqiang said he was keen on working closely with the Chinese leadership to deal with any outstanding issues in bilateral ties.

India and China have been conducting extensive talks on a historical border dispute for several years.

Modi underlined the new government’s resolve to utilise the full potential of “our strategic and cooperative partnership with China and his keenness to work closely with the Chinese leadership to deal with any outstanding issues in bilateral relations by proceeding from the strategic perspective of our developmental goals and long-term benefits to our peoples”.

Modi also sent an invitation to Chinese President Xi Jinping to pay a visit to India later this year.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi would be in New Delhi to hold talks with the newly sworn-in Indian government on June 8. Wang is slated to meet the new Indian Prime Minister and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

Li said China viewed India as a “natural cooperative partner” and was ready to work with the new Indian government to take their strategic cooperative partnership to a “new level”.

“China and India are important neighbours to each other and the top two emerging markets in the world. China-India relations have moved beyond the bilateral scope and taken on global and strategic significance,” he said.

 

Source: Agencies