Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c14.s2.t5.8

v2.c14.s2.t5.8

From November 20-23, 2006, Hu Jintao, President of the People’s Republic of China, paid a state visit to India, which was the first visit of the head of China to India since the establishment of India-China strategic cooperative partnership. During this visit, President Hu had a meeting with Premier Singh and met with President Kalam, Sonia Gandhi, Chairman of the Indian National Congress Party, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, Indian Vice President and ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Somnath Chatterjee, speaker of the Lok Sabha and L K Advani, leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Both sides reached a consensus on the India-China strategic cooperative partnership and expressed that both sides would be devoted to safeguarding the interests of the developing countries, promoting world multi-polarisation and the democratisation of the international relations and promoting the continuous development of the India-China strategic cooperative partnership. President Hu also met young Indian and Chinese representatives and attended the celebration activities of the “Sino-Indian Friendship Year” together with Indian President A P J Abdul Kalam. President Hu made an important speech titled as *To Create a Better Future Together by Expanding the Mutual Cooperation* regarding the India-China relations and the development course of China in the Indian Science Palace in New Delhi. He then went to Mumbai to attend the Sino-Indian Economic Investment and Cooperation Summit and the Forum of CEOs, in which he also made an important speech. This visit facilitated the cooperation of the two countries in many areas such as investment, health quarantine, human resource development, forestry, cultural relics and establishing consulate-generals mutually.