Indian PM to start China tour

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrives in China on Sunday for a three-day official visit.

It will be his first trip to China since taking office in 2004.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrives in China  on Sunday for a three-day official visit.  (Photo taked in 2007. Xinhua)

Singh says he hopes his visit will produce long-term benefits for both countries.

Singh says India-China relations have transcended their bilateral dimension and have acquired global and strategic significance especially after Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao visited India in recent years.

Singh says his visit to China continues this tradition of high-level exchanges and he is coming with an open mind to hold free and frank discussions on all issues of common interest.

He says that as the two most populous countries in the world China and India made development their top priority while facing various challenges.

Singh says India and China could learn from the experiences of the other.

The Indian Prime Minister says he hopes to strengthen India-China cooperation in science and technology and launch joint projects.

Singh says he will exchange views on regional and multilateral issues including UN reforms, regional dialogue including cooperation in the East Asia summit.

And he will also discuss global issues such as combating climate change, energy security, international trade and counter-terrorism.

On the boundary question, Singh says India is committed to resolving differences through peaceful means in a fair, reasonable, mutually acceptable and proactive manner while ensuring that such differences are not allowed to affect the positive development of bilateral relations.