Two Big Nations Aim to Help World

Li Peng meets Indian President

Top legislator and chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Tuesday talked about border relations and world peace with the visiting Indian President, Kocheril Raman Narayanan, who arrived in China on Sunday for a seven-day state visit.

Li Peng, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, said during his meeting with the Indian President that as the two largest countries in Asia and the world, China and India share similar experiences in modern history.

Over the half century since the two countries established diplomatic relations, Li said, ties have been neighbourly despite setbacks.

The Indian president said India-China relations have developed steadily over the past 50 years and that there is no reason the two countries cannot resolve border disputes through friendly negotiations.

Li Ruihuan, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, told Narayanan yesterday that the president's visit will help relations.

Narayanan said India and China should work together to help establish a new political and economic world order.

In an address at Beijing University, the Indian president said a set of peaceful co-existence principles initiated by India and China should steer the globe.

Narayanan, who also visited Beijing University as Indian ambassador to China in the 1970s, said that India and China can work together for world peace, justice for developing countries and international power sharing. He added that the two countries could work closely together to introduce democratic changes to the United Nations.