Chinese President Hu Jintao holds talks with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi

On November 21, 2006, Chinese President Hu Jintao held talks with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the Hyderabad Palace in New Delhi. During the talks, the two leaders reached an important consensus on developing their strategic and cooperative partnership, agreeing that the two countries shared extensive and sustained common interests at bilateral, regional and international facets, and were committed to safeguarding the rights and interests of developing countries and promoting multi-polarization of the world and democracy in international relations. They held that the Sino-Indian relationship has gone far beyond a bilateral level and is of global significance. Both sides also agreed to make concerted efforts to push forward their bilateral strategic and cooperative partnership.

Hu made positive comments on the sound momentum of all-round development of bilateral ties in recent years, marked by increasing political trust, positive progress in border negotiations, sustained and rapid growth of bilateral trade, effective cooperation in science, technology, energy, culture, education and military affairs and sound coordination in international affairs. Hu said the two countries share broad and sustained common interest, as both of them need a good neighborly friendly environment, shoulder a major responsibility of promoting peace, stability and rejuvenation in Asia, and are committed to safeguarding common interest of developing nations, promoting multi-polarization of the world and democracy in international relations and pushing forward the international political and economic order in a more reasonable and just direction.

Singh warmly welcomed Hu's visit, which was made during the "Sino-Indian friendship year". He recalled last year's establishment of strategic cooperative partnership facing towards peace and prosperity, marked by frequent high-level visits, increasing political trust, rapidly growing trade cooperation and identical or similar views between both sides in international affairs. Singh said Hu's visit, which was made in the context of all-round development of bilateral ties and diversified cooperation, will become a new milestone in bilateral relations.

Hu, for his part, said China welcomed India's development, which offered opportunities rather than posing threats to China. Hu said China took India as an important cooperative partner in Asia and the world at large, and considered their bilateral relationship as one of China's important bilateral relationships. To develop a long-term and steady strategic cooperative partnership with India was not an expedient measure, but the Chinese government's fixed policy and strategic decision, and the Chinese side would work with the Indian side to push the bilateral partnership forward continuously, said Hu. He made a six-point proposal for the development of bilateral ties.

The first is to strengthen dialogues and consultations and enhance political mutual trust. The leaders of the two countries can make use of bilateral and multilateral channels to maintain frequent contacts. Both sides should encourage regular contacts and exchanges between their government departments, legislative bodies, and political parties, make full use of strategic dialogue and other mechanisms to keep frequent dialogue and consultations, and support exchanges between local governments of the two countries.

The second is to promote economic and trade cooperation for reciprocal and win-win results. Both sides should implement the five-year plan on comprehensive economic and trade cooperation between the two countries, improve trade mix, and promote trade diversity for a realization of their trade target of 40 billion U.S. dollars a year in 2010. Hu urged the two sides to take active measures to remove trade and investment barriers and create an environment conducive to expanding trade cooperation. They should strive to complete the feasibility study on the regional trade arrangement so as to lay a solid basis for the negotiations, Hu added.

The third is to expand substantial cooperation and shared interests with keys on mutually beneficial cooperation in the fields of information technologies, energy, resources, infrastructure, science, technology and agriculture. Hu suggested both sides encourage closer cooperation between IT companies, conduct dialogue, technological exchanges and joint development cooperation in the energy sector with mineral collaboration, support cooperation between businesses in India's transportation, power and other infrastructure construction, make full use of the mechanisms of the guiding committee on scientific and technologic cooperation and the joint committee for scientific and technological cooperation for stronger cooperation of mutual benefit in the area, and strengthen cooperation in crops breeding, crops planting technologies, agricultural bio-technology and animal husbandry.

The fourth is to promote humanities exchanges and consolidate the friendship basis covering such areas as culture, education, tourism, religion, press and sports. Both sides should pay due attention to the China-India friendship year through tourism set for 2007 to ensure it is a success. Hu called for expanded aviation ties, and simplified visa formalities to promote personnel exchanges. The Chinese government has decided to invite 500 young Indians to China in the next five years, Hu noted.

The fifth is to push forward border demarcation negotiations and maintain peace and tranquility in border areas. The two sides should reach a just and rational settlement framework acceptable to both at an early date through peaceful and friendly negotiations on an equal footing and with mutual respect and understanding and based on the political guiding principle for a final resolution to the border issue. Meanwhile both sides should continue to maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas.

The sixth is to strengthen multi-lateral cooperation to safeguard common interests such as those in the United Nations and other multi-lateral organizations. Hu urged the two sides to jointly promote multi-polarization of the world and democracy in international relations, push forward South-South cooperation and safeguard common interests of developing nations. Both sides should participate in the regional cooperation process, and strengthen cooperation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the East Asia Summit (EAS), the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) and other mechanisms, Hu added.

Singh said India looked at bilateral relations from the perspective of mutually beneficial cooperation instead of from that of rivalry, adding that to strengthen bilateral friendship and cooperation would exert a positive impact on world situation. He said India paid great attention to bilateral relations and it was the consensus of all Indian political parties to forge firm and friendly relations with China. The Indian side held that no force could hinder the further development of India-China relations, said Singh.

Singh agreed with Hu on the six-point proposal. He said India hopes to maintain high-level exchanges with China to build up political trust. He urged the two sides to set a new goal for trade cooperation, expand trade exchanges, promote trade diversity, and conduct energy and resources cooperation. India welcomes more investment from China, and hopes to strengthen scientific and technological cooperation, cultural exchanges, personnel contacts, as well as cooperation in the UN, the WTO and other multilateral arenas with China, he noted. Singh said an early settlement of the boundary issue conformed to the fundamental interests of the two countries, hoping that it would be solved through friendly negotiations.

After the talks, Hu and Singh attended a signing ceremony for bilateral cooperative documents concerning investment, quarantine, human resources development, forestry, culture and the establishment of consulates-general at Guangzhou and Kolkata. Later they jointly met with the journalists.

Prior to the talks, Hu attended a grand welcoming ceremony hosted by Indian President Abdul Kalam and later laid a wreath at the Tomb of Gandhi.

On the same day, Hu also met with Indian Foreign Minister Mukherjee.

Wang Gang, Alternate Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and Director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, and other accompanying officials attended these activities.