'India-China managing ties well despite differences'

India and China are managing their relationship well and looking for long-term solutions to resolve their differences as the "old mindset still prevails", Indian Ambassador to China has said, hoping that Premier Wen Jiabao's visit to India would increase bilateral cooperation.

"Even on our differences, we have managed them well while seeking long-term solutions," Ambassador S Jaishankar said in an interview to Chinese news agency, Xinhua, ahead of Wen's December 15-17 visit to India.

The two countries have held interactions in a range of fields, from agriculture and environment to urbanisation and transport, he said.

The convergence of interests of India and China will transcend rhetoric and manifest itself in substantial cooperation and interaction, Jaishankar who is in New Delhi to make preparations for Wen's visit, said.

"This could be expressed in different dimensions of our relationship: on bilateral ties, on regional questions and on global issues," he said.

India hoped Wen's visit would raise the level of bilateral cooperation, Jaishankar said adding that relations had developed positively since Premier's last visit in 2005, when China and India agreed to establish a "strategic and cooperative partnership for peace and prosperity."

With regard to problems in Sino-Indian relations, he said most of the issues were historic and in other cases, "the old mindset still prevails."

"The question really boils down to whether one recognises the reality of growing inter-dependence in the contemporary world," he said, adding the risks of not getting along were very high.

He said that so long as world views were dominated by the balance of power and national competition, issues in the relationship would get more prominence than they probably deserved.