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India and China on Friday agreed to further strengthen cooperation and promote friendship while respecting each other's sensitivities.
Visiting External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh held discussions with his Chinese counterpart Tang Jiaxuan on the entire gamut of bilateral ties.
Tang said the newly inaugurated air link between India and China would not only increase personal exchanges, but also enhance cooperation between the two countries.
"More importantly, the direct air link will greatly shorten the distance between our two countries in the political sense," he said.
Singh, who arrived on a five-day visit on Friday, said: "As our two countries travel on the road of development and of improving the well-being of 2.5 billion human beings, as citizens of our two countries, we owe it to them, our own people, indeed to all humanity to progress our friendship and cooperation on the basis of Panchsheel-- the five principles of peaceful coexistence; also mutual sensitivity to each other's concerns and equality."
The minister said it was a great privilege and honour for him to arrive in Beijing on the inaugural direct flight between the two countries.
"I bring to our great neighbours, the friendly people of the People's Republic of China, the greetings and best wishes of all Indians," he said.
He called on Vice Premier Qian Qichen at the Zhongnabaoi Palace, the seat of Chinese leadership.
Terming the air link as a "major step", the Chinese leader said: "China and India should make up each other's deficiencies."
The vice premier hoped that Singh's visit would "open up new pages" in Sino-Indian ties.
Singh later had a meeting with Dai Bingguo, Minister of the International Liaison Department of the Communist Party of China.
Considerable significance is being attached to Singh's visit, which is a follow-up to the visit of Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji to India in January this year when the two sides agreed on a bilateral mechanism on counter terrorism.
The two sides are expected to finalise details of this mechanism to pave the way for the first round of dialogue at an early date.
The minister will meet the Chinese premier on Saturday. He will also visit South Korea and Myanmar before returning home.
PTI
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