China, India should be each other's partner: Foreign Minister

China and India should be each other's partner in pursuing their dreams and opportunities to help their economies grow, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday.

"The two countries should collectively make due contribution to Asia's revitalization and prosperity," Wang told the media on the sidelines of the country's annual legislative session.

He said that the historic meeting between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year created a new model of high-level interactions between the two countries, enhanced the mutual trust and friendship and set the direction for future relations.

"China will work with India to comprehensively strengthen pragmatic cooperation and people-to-people exchange so that our friendship and cooperation will surge ahead like the Yangtze and the Ganges, giving strong and sustained impetus to our relationship.

"Government departments on both sides have done a lot and made considerable progress in following through on many of the understandings reached by the leaders," Wang was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.

"The priority now is to see that the strategic understandings of our leaders trickle down to our people and become a common view and conscious efforts."

Talking about India-Pakistan tensions, he said that Beijing hoped that both the countries "will replace confrontation with dialogue, settle disagreement with goodwill and create a better future with cooperation".

The Minister said China welcomed "the willingness expressed by the two countries" to de-escalate the situation.

"China has stressed from the beginning the need to exercise calm and restraint and prevent escalation," he added.

--IANS

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