The common ground shared by China and India far outweighs their differences, said Li Peng, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, Tuesday.
"The Chinese and Indian peoples have ample reasons to develop their friendship and become good neighbours and partners," Li told P.C. Alexander, governor of Maharashtra, where Li kicked off his one-week visit to India.
The two largest developing countries in the world, China and India have extensive common interests in the international political and economic arena.
They both favour a multipolar world, hold identical or similar positions on many major issues and could cooperate in a wide range of international affairs.
They both face the difficult tasks of modernization and improving people's living standards.
"As two neighbouring countries, we need to create a peaceful and stable environment and live in amity, things that are in our fundamental interests," Li said at the banquet hosted by Alexander.
Similar national conditions and the shared endeavour to carry out comprehensive economic reform make it possible and necessary for the two countries to learn from each other in many fields, Li said.
Last year, when the two countries celebrated the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, the visit of Indian President K.R. Narayanan to China helped further the progress of ties.
The two countries have reached consensus on a wide range of issues, such as increasing personnel exchanges, more cooperation on trade, international and regional affairs and the appropriate handling of historical problems.
China and India have developed co-operation in the political, military, cultural and parliamentary fields.
"Hopefully, the positive momentum of this development will continue for a long time to come," Li said. "China will continue to contribute to better neigbourly relations between the two countries."
China wishes to see a prosperous, developed and strong India and welcomes a more active role on the part of India in regional and international affairs.
Over the past 10 years, the Indian economy has grown at an annual rate of 6 percent, and its IT industry has developed rapidly, with its software industry taking a leading position internationally.
China wishes to expand trade and economic cooperation with India. Although much headway in trade and economic relations has been made in the past decade, the current level of cooperation is far from equal to the scale of the two countries' economies.
(China Daily 01/09/2001)
