Chinese PM says he will visit India this year

HANOI - Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said he would be visiting India this year in his opening remarks ahead of his meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday. The prime minister responded by saying that he was “extremely delighted” to hear about it.

The 30-minute meeting, also attended by National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon, Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma and Secretary-East Lata Reddy as well as four cabinet ministers from the Chinese side, saw Wen talking of the strong sense of history which binds the two countries.

Wen told the prime minister that he had said on many occasions that there was enough space for China and India to grow. “To that I add that there is enough space in the world for India and China to have cooperation.”

On this 60th year of the anniversary of India-China diplomatic relations, he said: “”I will be visiting India this year.”

The prime minister responded by saying the two had met on 10 occasions in the last six years.

He said he was “extremely delighted” to hear that Wen would be coming. He also said there would be for consensus on key issues to lay the foundation for a very successful visit.