China promises to enhance trust with India to promote bilateral ties

Beijing: China will enhance strategic trust and boost practical cooperation with India to further promote bilateral ties, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang told visiting Defence Minister A K Antony today. In his meeting with Antony, Li said both China and India have the political willingness to appropriately address border issues through dialogues and consultations to jointly maintain peace, tranquillity and stability in border areas. This will “help ensure the achievement of common development of the two countries,” state-run Xinhua news agency quoted Li as saying. Li said, he hopes the two militaries will increase exchanges and boost cooperation to play an active role in cementing the strategic partnership between the two countries. [caption id=“attachment_933663” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Antony is presently in China. PTI[/caption] China and India are both neighbours and partners, and the friendly neighbourhood as well as their joint push for common prosperity benefits not only the two nations, but also Asia and the world at large, he said. He said the cooperation between China and India, both countries with populations exceeding a billion, will generate great opportunities and serve as a driving force for the development of the two countries, South Asia and the whole world. Recalling Li’s visit to India in May, Antony, who is on a four-day official visit here, said the premier’s tour was a historic milestone in bilateral ties. The leaders of the two countries reached important consensus on advancing bilateral ties, expanding cooperation and maintaining peace in border areas, the Xinhua report quoted Antony as saying. The Indian side will make joint efforts with China to further advance bilateral ties in a comprehensive way, Antony said. PTI