India, China sign 13 pacts, to double trade
Nov 21, 2006 - 8:23:19 PM
, Reviewed by: Priya Saxena
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'I look forward to strengthening friendship, increasing mutual trust and expanding cooperation during my visit,' Hu said in a brief statement.
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By Indo Asian News Service,
[RxPG] New Delhi, Nov 21 (IANS) India and China Tuesday intensified their ties by signing 13 agreements and agreeing to double bilateral trade to $40 billion by 2010.
The two countries agreed to accelerate their efforts to find an early settlement of the border issue and underlined that their 'strategic relationship' had a global significance.
They also consented to open new consulates and agreed to resolve a property problem at the Indian consulate general in Shanghai. Next year has also been designated the China-India Friendship Year for Tourism.
The decisions were conveyed at a press interaction addressed jointly by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao after their 90-minute talks at the Hyderabad House here.
'President Hu and I have agreed that the positive development of India-China relations in recent years must be made irreversible,' Manmohan Singh said in his opening remarks after talks with Hu who is here on a four-day visit.
'China and India are both major developing countries and our relationship has global significance,' Hu said in his remarks, adding the two sides will expand cooperation in areas such as trade, energy, agriculture, investment and human resource development.
Agreements were also signed to protect and promote investments between the two countries, as also to set up one more consulate each - one in Kolkata and the other in Guangdong, Hu announced.
The two countries already by consulates in Mumbai and Shanghai.
Hu - who arrived here Monday evening on a four-day visit - was accorded a ceremonial welcome in the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan, which included an 18-gun salute as his cavalcade drove into the presidential palace escorted by mounted riders of the President's Bodyguard.
President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Manmohan Singh were on hand to greet him.
The Indian and Chinese national anthems were played and Hu then inspected the honour guard.
'I look forward to strengthening friendship, increasing mutual trust and expanding cooperation during my visit,' Hu said in a brief statement.
'Twenty-two years ago, I had the pleasure of visiting India. It gives me great pleasure to return to a great country like India at the invitation of President Kalam,' said Hu - the first Chinese president to visit India in 10 years.
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