Chinese leaders congratulate India on 60th anniversary of ties

New Delhi, Apr 1 (ANI): Chinese President Hu Jintao exchanged congratulatory messages with his Indian counterpart Pratibha Patil on Thursday to mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

President Patil said in her message that India's ever-growing relationship with China is of global and strategic significance. The close cooperation between the two nations will be conducive to the peace and stability of Asia and the larger world, she said.

India hopes to continue its close cooperation with China, and will strive to bring India-China relations to new heights, President Patil said.

The Chinese President said thanks to the concerted efforts from both sides, bilateral relations between China and India have steadily developed since their establishment of diplomatic relations.

In the new century, China and India established a strategic cooperative partnership for peace and prosperity. The two nations have carried out fruitful cooperation in areas such as politics, trade and culture and coordinated closely on international and regional affairs, he said.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao also exchanged greetings with his Indian counterpart Dr. Manmohan Singh.

Dr. Singh said that the mature bilateral relationship between India and China is in line with the interests of both countries, and that he was confident about the future of China-India relations.

Wen said that peace, friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation has been the main strength of bilateral ties between China and India over the past six decades.

The two nations should learn from each other and support each other so as to achieve win-win results and common development, he said.

Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi also exchanged messages with S.M. Krishna, the Indian External Affairs Minister. (ANI)