India, China ink pacts on water resources, culture

NEW DELHI: India and China today signed two agreements including one in the field of water resources on sharing hydrological data on Satluj river after talks between Vice President Hamid Ansari and his Chinese counterpart Li Yuanchao here.

Li is the first Chinese Vice president to visit India in more than six decades.

"Widening #IndiaChina engagement. Indian & Chinese Vice Presidents witness signing of MoUs on Water Resources & Culture," Vikas Swarup, spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs, tweeted.

While the pact in water resources was renewal of an agreement dealing with sharing hydrological data on Satluj, under the cultural pact, India will hold exhibition of art from the Gupta period, which was known as "golden period" in the country and during which famous Chinese traveller Fa Hien came, the Spokesperson said.

Li has visited Aurangabad and Kolkata before his travel to the national capital.

In Aurangabad, the Chinese Vice President visited the Ajanta Caves and also met the city mayor.

In Kolkata, he met West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. He also visited Jorasanko Thakur Bari, the ancestral home of Rabindranath Tagore which is now part of Rabindra Bharati University campus.