Anchor:
China and India have pledged to strengthen bilateral cooperation and understanding in a wide range of perspectives, as India's prime minister sought to cement a rapid improvement in ties with a landmark visit.

The move of the two Asian countries at the beginning of 2008 is expected to further the global prosperity and progress.

CRI Reporter Chen Xi has the details.

Reporter:
China and India have signed a joint document of their shared vision of accelerating bilateral ties and making joint efforts in contributing to world development.

The document was signed by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and the visiting Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who was on his first China tour since he assumed office.

Wen Jiabao highly applauded the document, saying that cooperation between China and India is of great importance to world peace and prosperity.

China and India are cooperative partners, not competitors. China and India both have their own uniqueness, where both countries can learn from each other. China and India should respect, understand, trust and cooperate with each other, so as to achieve win-win results.

The seven-page document says, A Shared Vision for the 21st Century of the People's Republic of China and the Republic of India, covers extensive fields, both bilateral and multilateral, reflecting the common ground between the two nations in major international and regional issues.

The two nations believe their bilateral relationship in this century will be of significant regional and global influence. They will therefore continue to build their strategic and cooperative partnership in a positive way.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh echoed his Chinese counterpart, conveying the understanding and trust between the two neighbors are crucial to the bilateral relations.

We attach the highest priority to developing the cooperation and mutually beneficial partnership relationship with China. Frequent and regular meeting at the summit level have contributed greatly to the development of our relations. They have served to demonstrate to the world our combined determination to forge the relationship of mutual understanding, cooperation and trust.

Singh adds his country is intended to boost bilateral trade volume to 60 billion US dollars by 2010.

According to official figures, the two-way trade volume surpassed 38 billion US dollars in 2007, with an annual growth rate of over 30% since 1995.

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Qin Gang said on Monday at a regular press conference in Beijing that the meeting between Chinese and Indian prime ministers is a great success.

We can definitely say that the meeting was a big success. It has enhanced mutual understanding and trust between China and India, and it is bound to have a positive and profound influence on the development of Sino-Indian relations for years to come.

He added that the two countries are of great importance to world peace and prosperity. The Chinese side highly commends Singh's comment that there is enough room for both countries to continue to grow, and agrees that the mutual development of China and India will change the outlook of Asia and even the world.

Qin Gang disclosed several memorandums of understanding were signed between the two sides, covering macro-economy, construction, land resources and others.

On the border issue, the two sides remain firmly committed to resolving outstanding differences, including on the boundary question, through peaceful negotiations.

Beijing has invited the Indian President Pratibha Patil to visit China in 2009. The two countries' foreign ministers will also carry out mutual visits within the year.

Singh was due to meet Chinese President Hu Jintao and the top legislator, Wu Bangguo on Tuesday.

Chen Xi, CRI News.