China wants to deepen strategic cooperation with India: Hu Jintao

BEIJING: Seeking to build on the "great cooperation potential" between India and China, President Hu Jintao has told Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that it is Beijing's "unswerving policy" to develop bilateral ties and deepen strategic cooperation.

During his meeting with Singh yesterday in New Delhi on the sidelines of the BRICS summit, Hu told Singh that "it is China's unswerving policy to develop Sino-Indian friendship, deepen strategic cooperation and seek common development," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a media briefing here today.

Answering a question on the outcome of the meeting, Hong said Hu had informed Singh that "lasting and sincere friendship is China's expectation of our bilateral relations."

"There is a great cooperation potential and prospect of development for China-India relations," Hu, who was largely credited with improving Sino-India relations during his decade-long tenure, told Singh, in what perhaps will be his last visit to India as he is set to retire later this year.

Hong said while declaring 2012 as the year of China-India Friendship and Cooperation, the two leaders expressed their willingness to elevate bilateral ties to a strategic partnership.

Hu told Singh that "China hopes to see a peaceful, prosperous and continually developing India and is committed to building more dynamic China-India relationship," according to Hong.

"China hopes to work with India to seize development opportunities, step up development, jointly respond to challenges and make greater contribution to peace and prosperity of Asia and beyond," the Chinese President told the Indian leader, Hong said.