Beijing, Jan 19 (IANS) China and India were not opponents but partners, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said here Tuesday at a meeting with visiting Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma.
“Only if China and India achieve common development and prosperity could we have a real Asia century,” Wen said.

The Chinese premier added that China and India were large developing nations in Asia and the total population of the two countries accounted for 40 percent of the world, Xinhua reported.

“We share broad common interests,” he said.

Wen said his country would work with India to boost good-neighbourly friendship, increase coordination in major international issues, and expand cooperation in trade, investment and other sectors in line with the principles of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefits.

“This will help promote the continuous stable growth of China-India ties,” he said.

The premier asked Sharma to convey his greetings to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

Sharma said the Indian leaders were devoted to strengthening the strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries.

“This accords with fundamental interests of the two peoples and is also conducive to the development of Asia and the world at large,” he said.

Sharma is in China on a visit at the invitation of China’s Ministry of Commerce. He Tuesday attended the eighth meeting of the China-India joint group on economy, trade, science and technology.