World will be a better place if India, China work together: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday highlighted the deepening bilateral ties of India and China and said the world would be a better place if the two Asian giants work together in trust and confidence.

While addressing a keynote at the Shangri-La hotel in Singapore, Prime Minister Modi said both the countries, which share a long and disputed boundary, have displayed maturity and wisdom in managing issues and ensuring a peaceful border as there is "a growing intersection in our international presence."

Recalling the informal summit held between him and Chinese President Xi Jinping in April, Prime Minister Modi noted that the meeting with President Xi has "helped us to cement our bilateral relations required for ensuring global peace and progress."

He said the bilateral trade between two countries is growing as the two are expanding their cooperation.

He further said that the future of Asia and the world will become better if India and China will work together in trust and confidence.

Prime Minister Modi referred to his summits with other countries as well.

He said that during the Sochi summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin both nations called for "multi-polar world order for dealing with challenges of our time."

Later, he talked of the bilateral relations between India and the United States as he said, "India's global strategic partnership with the United States continues to deepen across the extraordinary breadth of our relationship."

He earlier highlighted the strengths of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). India along with Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia are part of the ASEAN bloc.