Similarities provide for partnership

China and India have sound reasons to learn from each other and a solid foundation to further their strategic cooperative partnership.

With a combined population of more than 2.5 billion, the two countries, each boasting a burgeoning middle class, also provide enormous markets for the world.

Bilateral trade grew from $2.9 billion in 2000 to $61.7 billion in 2010. In 2012, the volume reached $66.5 billion, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

"They could strengthen cooperation in infrastructure construction in India and in medicine and IT products in China," said Jiang Jingkui, director of the Department of South Asian Languages at Peking University.

Vice-Minister of Commerce Jiang Yaoping said the trade imbalances between China and India is mainly due to differences in the two countries' economic structures.

China has never sought a trade surplus, nor has China imposed any blocks on imports, the vice-minister added.

Given the many similarities China and India share in the scale of their populations and potential for economic development, Jiang said the two should also strengthen cooperation on multilateral platforms in fields such as climate change and global economic governance.

As Asia's two rising powers, China and India have immense possibilities of cooperation, said Jabin T. Jacob, assistant director at the Delhi-based Institute of Chinese Studies, noting that bilateral cooperation has already started under the frameworks of BRICS and the G20.

Common goals

Leaders of the two countries have repeatedly underscored their common pursuit of development and the principle that they are partners instead of rivals.

In their March meeting, President Xi Jinping told Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that the world needs the common development of China and India, and is big enough to accommodate the development of both countries.

China regards its ties with India as one of its most important relationships, and it commits itself to pushing forward the two countries' strategic cooperative partnership, he added.

Singh said his country adheres to an independent foreign policy and will not be used as a tool to contain China.

India, he said, is willing to make concerted efforts with China to show the world that they are cooperative partners instead of rivals.

The Indian prime minister said his country recognizes Tibet as part of the Chinese territory and will not allow Tibetans to conduct political activities against China in India.

Shortly after Li became Chinese premier on March 15, Singh congratulated him in a phone call. During the conversation, Li said China will, as always, attach great importance to its relations with India and will work with the country to further promote their strategic cooperative partnership.

(China Daily 05/20/2013 page3)