Chinese foreign minister calls on Pranab

Wang Yi, the foreign minister and special envoy of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Monday called on President Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Mukherjee said India and China have excellent relations and that Wang's visit will further strengthen these relations, according to a statement issued by the president's house.

He said there was consensus across the political spectrum in India on maintaining a close and cooperative relationship with China.

Mukherjee asked Wang to convey his greetings to President Xi and said he was eagerly looking forward to receiving the latter in India later this year.

Wang described Mukherjee as an old friend of China who has made important contributions to the growth of relations between the two countries, the statement said.