India-China consensus big stride forward: Li

Visiting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang Monday described the consensus reached on various issues between China and India as "a big stride forward" and called for conducting dialogue in a "mature and sensible way".

It was fair to say that the two sides had "arrived at multiple, significant outcomes",

Li said in his statement to the media alongside Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Both countries had "the wisdom to resolve these issues and overcome the differences", he added.

The Chinese premier, who made India his first stop on his first overseas trip after taking office, said he and his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh believe that the two countries had "far more shared interests" than differences.

Stressing that both countries should learn from their respective past experiences, Li said there was a need to conduct dialogue on issues in "a mature and sensible way", and called for maintaining "peace and tranquility in the border areas".

He said the strategic consensus they had arrived at had laid the foundation that would help "seize the opportunity to modernise the two large developing countries".

He spoke of accommodating the "growth aspiration of both China and India". Without the development of both these countries, Li added, "Asia will not become strong and the world will not become a better place".

"By conducting effective and sincere dialogue...we believe that by arriving at this consensus we have made a big stride forward…"