Li Keqiang declares 2014 as year of exchanges between India, China to boost friendship

Stressing on the need for increased people-to-people interaction between India and China, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Tuesday declared 2014 as the year of exchanges between the two nations to boost understanding and friendship.

Addressing captains of Indian industry at a function organised by FICCI here, Keqiang said: " The year of 2014 will be to boost understanding and friendship between both countries."

Keqiang, who is in India on a three-day state visit, further said both India and China have the wisdom to find mutually acceptable solution to the boundary problem.

"India and China have not shied away from addressing boundary question, have wisdom to find a fair and mutually acceptable solution...We have been able to put all issues on the table," he added.

Supporting a favourable trade balance and seeking to decrease trade deficit between India and China, he said Beijing would support Chinese enterprises to increase investments in India and help Indian products have access to Chinese market.

Keqiang on Monday said that global prosperity would not be possible without the simultaneous development of China and India.

Keqiang, who received a ceremonial reception at the Rashtrapati Bhawan here yesterday, told media that the combined population of China and India is a third of the world's population, and therefore, both China and India are important world markets.

"Development and prosperity of the world cannot happen without the simultaneous development of India and China," he added.

He also said a China-India regional trading association would be launched along with an economic trade corridor.

"With this visit, I hope that both sides increase mutual strategic trust, both countries are ancient civilisations," he added.