Vajpayee Meets Chinese Foreign MinisterVisiting Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan called on Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Saturday afternoon.During the meeting, the two sides exchanged their views on Sino-Indian relations and regional and international issues of mutual concern in a "friendly and candid" way, said sources with the Chinese Embassy in India. Vajpayee told the Chinese foreign minister that India was willing to become a good neighbor of China, and expressed the hope that both countries could further improve and develop bilateral relations on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence, the sources added. Tang responded that a stable, normal and friendly Sino-Indian relationship is in the fundamental interest of the peoples of both countries, as well as conducive to the promotion of peace, stability and development in Asia and the rest of the world. Tang conveyed to Vajpayee greetings from Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, said the sources, adding that Vajpayee also asked Tang to send his greetings to his Chinese counterpart, as well as an invitation for Premier Zhu to visit India. Earlier on Saturday, the Chinese foreign minister held talks with Indian External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh, during which the two sides made a "broad exchange of view" on the future development of Sino-Indian relations and reached consensus in several fields, the sources noted. Tang, who arrived here on Friday night for a one-day official visit, also had a meeting with Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Saturday. He is leaving New Delhi for Karachi late Saturday evening. |
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