India, China press for strong bilateral relations

Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), June 21 (ANI): Meeting on the sidelines of the Earth Summit here on Thursday, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao have pressed for strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries, and discussed the measures that need to be taken to enhance political ties and increase mutual trust.

Wen said that over the last decade, China and India have established and developed a strategic and cooperative partnership, formulated several important dialogue mechanisms and maintained peace in the border region.

He also lauded the rapidly growing Chinese-Indian trade, the increasingly frequent people-to-people exchanges and the joint efforts in safeguarding the interests of developing countries on major international issues.

Both the leaders agreed that they should continue to settle border issues and maintain peace and stability in the borderlands, besides enhancing coordination on global and regional affairs.

Dr. Singh said India attached great importance to its relationship with China and regards it as an important component of India's modernization strategy and a pillar of world peace and stability.

He said that India is willing to work with China to strengthen strategic communication and coordination, maintain peace on the frontier and promote economic and trade cooperation.

India, he said, will neither allow anyone to stage anti-China activities in its territory nor join any scheme to contain or besiege China.

Dr. Singh arrived here on Wednesday to attend the two-day Rio+20 summit to prepare an environmental blueprint for sustainable global development amidst the ongoing economic crisis.

He will pitch for the principle of common but differentiated responsibility during the meeting, 20 years after the first Earth Summit was held here.

India will be negotiating to ensure that the Rio principles are reaffirmed, and all sustainable development will be viewed with the approach of equity and common but differentiated responsibility, so that developing countries can have their share of development.

India is also expected to voice its opposition to the Green Economy norms as propagated by the European Union.

Dr Singh flew in here to attend the summit after a 10-hour long flight from Los Cabos in Mexico where he attended the seventh G-20 summit.

He is due to return home on Saturday night after an overnight halt at Pretoria, South Africa. (ANI)