Li Peng Meets Governor of MaharashtraChina has always valued its ties with India and the current China tour is to increase trust, promote friendship and enhance cooperation, China's top legislator Li Peng said Tuesday evening in Mumbai.This is aimed to help the good neighborly relations between China and India continue to proceed in a healthy and stable way, Li said. Chairman Li Peng of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, who arrived here on a week-long official goodwill visit, met with P.C. Alexander, governor of Maharashtra Tuesday evening. Li said both China and India, as developing nations with the world's largest populations, have cherished a long history of friendly contacts. They became backward due to the bully and humiliation of the big powers, he said. The past experiences have shown that the sovereignty and independence is most invaluable, he said, adding that the two peoples should further strengthen cooperation in various fields and make due contributions to the world peace. Extending welcome to Li for coming to Maharashtra, Alexander said that both India and China are big developing nations in the world and in the 18th century, the combined GDP of the two countries accounted for half of the world's total. After that period of time, he said, the two countries lost their opportunities of development, thus so both nations should now undertake closer cooperation in the interests of the two peoples. All walks of life in India attach great importance to Li's current visit and greatly appreciate China's fast pace in its economic construction, he said, adding India and the business circles in Mumbai in particular expect the visit contribute to the furtherance of bilateral economic and trade cooperation. Li's wife Zhu Lin and other members of Li's entourage were present at the meeting, after which the governor hosted a dinner in Li's honor. |
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