STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER ON
HIS DEPARTURE FOR PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
The following is
the statement by the Prime Minister, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee
on his departure for People’s Republic of China here today:
"I leave today on
an official bilateral visit to the People’s Republic of China.
We attach high priority
to our relations with this important neighbour. Our two countries
have developed a wide canvas of mutually beneficial cooperation.
Particularly over the last few years, we have been developing
and diversifying our relations, even while simultaneously addressing
our differences. As the world’s two largest and most populous
developing countries, India and China need to remain in close
touch on all major issues of global concern.
Three weeks ago I
had a very useful meeting with President Hu Jintao in St. Petersburg.
My visit will give me an opportunity of also establishing contact
with Premier Wen Jiabao and other representatives of the new Chinese
leadership.
Besides Beijing,
I will be visiting the industrial and commercial centre of Shanghai
and the town of Luoyang which has an ancient historical connection
with India. I hope to see for myself the remarkable economic transformation
that China has undergone over the past decade.
I believe that my
discussions with the new Chinese leadership would help in building
better understanding and trust between our two countries. There
is a compelling geographical, political and economic logic for
closer relations between our two countries".
