Senior CPC official meets leaders of Indian parties

Zhou Yongkang, a senior official of the Communist Party of China (CPC), met separately with the president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and leaders of three left-wing parties in New Delhi on Monday.

During his meeting with Nitin Gadkari, president of the BJP (Indian People's Party), Zhou, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, said the CPC attaches great importance to the role of the BJP in India's political life.

The CPC will make continued efforts to strengthen exchanges with the BJP and play its role in promoting economic development in both countries, so as to bring more benefit to their peoples, said Zhou, also secretary of the Political and Legislative Affairs Committee of the CPC Central Committee.

The BJP has done a great deal of work in promoting the China-India friendship, he said, hoping that the party will make new contributions in this regard.

Gadkari expressed admiration for the tremendous economic growth and social progress in China and also hoped to draw on China's experience in such areas as the development and utilization of new energy resources.

Zhou also met Prakash Karat of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Ardhendu Bhushan Bardhan of the Communist Party of India and Debabrata Biswas of the All India Forward Bloc.

Zhou said the CPC is ready to enhance exchanges with all parties in India, whether in office or in opposition, to further advance the China-India strategic cooperative partnership.

He also briefed them on the decisions made at the fifth plenary session of the 17th Central Committee of the CPC.

The leaders of the three parties said both India and China have an important role to play in maintaining peace in Asia and the rest of the world. Their parties and the CPC enjoy brotherly and friendly ties and are all committed to advancing the development of China-India relations, they added.

Zhou arrived here on Sunday for a goodwill visit to India.

Source: Xinhua