Xi hopes to expand Indo-China ties

Wants to take strategic ties to new level

Chinese President Xi Jinping today expressed the hope that China and India will take their strategic and cooperative partnership to a higher plane.

Xi said that China and India are the world's two largest developing countries.

"We plan to partner with each other to take our strategic and cooperative partnership to a higher plane," Xi said after being accorded a ceremonial reception at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The Chinese leader, who arrived here last night from Ahmedabad where Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted a dinner for him, said the first purpose of his visit is to carry forward the friendship between the two countries.
 
"China and India are both ancient civilisations with thousands of years of friendly interaction with each other. We also admire and respect each others' civilisation. It is important that we translate the friendly contacts and make sure that we will follow what we promise each other," Xi, who was flanked by President Pranab Mukherjee and Modi, told reporters.