Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gives Chinese President Xi Jinping a guided tour of the Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram, India, Oct. 11, 2019. Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the southern Indian city of Chennai on Friday. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)
Chinese President Xi Jinping's trip to India and Nepal has injected new impetus into China's relations with the two countries, built new platform for good-neighborliness in South Asia, and opened up new prospects for regional practical cooperation, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Sunday.
Xi returned to Beijing on Sunday evening after his second informal meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the southern Indian city of Chennai and a state visit to Nepal.
ENHANCING CHINA-INDIA STRATEGIC MUTUAL TRUST
During Xi's stay in India, the Chinese president had a long and in-depth exchange of views with Modi, Wang said, adding that the two leaders recollected the history of China and India fighting side by side for national independence and liberation, and pioneering the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, and envisioned the future of the two countries jointly realizing their respective national dreams.
Xi said both China and India, as two populous countries, the two largest developing countries and important representatives of emerging economies, are at a critical stage of national development and national rejuvenation, with huge potential and broad space for cooperation, according to Wang.
Xi added that China-India relations have transcended the bilateral scope and bear important and far-reaching strategic significance.
China and India should be good neighbors who live in harmony and work together as good partners, Xi said, noting that realizing a scenario where the dragon and the elephant dance together is the only correct choice for the two countries, which serves the fundamental interests of both countries and peoples, and works for world peace and prosperity.
Wang said the two leaders have charted out targets and directions for strengthening practical cooperation between China and India.
They have agreed to establish a high-level economic and trade dialogue mechanism, enhance alignment of the two countries' economic development strategies, seek to build a partnership in manufacturing industry, and promote balanced and sustainable growth of bilateral trade.
The two leaders also agreed to expand "China-India Plus" cooperation, push forward facilitation of regional inter-connectivity, and work with other related parties to strike the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement as early as possible, Wang said.
China and India have agreed to strengthen coordination within the framework of multilateral mechanisms including the Group of 20, the BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the China-Russia-India cooperation, and safeguard an international system with the United Nations as its core and an international order based on international law, Wang said, adding that the two countries vowed to uphold multilateralism and maintain multilateral trading system.
Xi also called on the two countries to conduct broader and deeper cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and jointly advocate and push forward dialogue and exchanges among different civilizations, so as to continue to create new glory for Asian civilizations, Wang said.
The two countries have agreed to designate 2020 as the China-India year of cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and hold 70 events next year to mark the 70th anniversary of the China-India diplomatic relations.
