On May 22, 2013, Foreign Minister Wang Yi had a press interview on the main fruits and significance of Premier Li Keqiang's visit to India.
Wang Yi said that China-India relations are of long standing and the mainstream of bilateral relations is friendly as well as disturbing now and then. In this visit to India, Premier Li Keqiang started from the strategic importance of China-India relations. He emphasized that China and India, as two ancient civilizations, two developing countries and two large emerging markets, the significance and influence of China-India cooperation far beyond China-India relationship itself, which is not only a blessing for the two peoples of China and India, but also a good fortune for Asia even the whole world. Wang Yi said that it is really very difficult to find another two big countries in the whole world as China and India which have so many things in common. In fact, China and India are a natural pair of strategic partners, the strategic implication of which used to be overlooked by the people. Premier Li Keqiang's entry from this point provides us with a more objective strategic perspective for seeing China-India relations.
Wang Yi said that another objective of this visit of Premier Li is to seek and expand China-India strategic consensus, and enable consensus to consistently be a dominant in bilateral relations. Both sides have unanimously stressed in the joint statement that they see each other as partners rather than opponents, and see each other's development as opportunities rather than challenges. Both sides believe that economic cooperation between the two countries has high complementarities and great potentials for further development. Both sides are willing to make joint efforts to push forward democracy in international relations and world multi-polarization. Among them, the consensus of constructing BCIM economic corridor jointly proposed by China and India receives much attention from all walks of life. The propelling of this idea combines China's opening up to the west with India's "Look East Policy". The linking of the world's two important economic growth poles of East Asia and South Asia will surely release enormous growth energy and provide new vitality for the Asian economic integration and global growth.
Wang Yi said that the establishment and enhancing of strategic mutual trust is a key to the future trend of China-India relations. Premier Li Keqiang repeatedly stressed the importance of establishing strategic mutual trust between China and India to all circles of India. One reflection in this regard is not to evade problems or differences, but talk frankly about various problems of common concern including some critical problems, be honest with each other, make clear out strategic intent on problems of the boundary, cross-border rivers and trade imbalance which matter to the people, and propel India side to seek for common interests of the both sides from the angle of strategic partner, make joint efforts to control differences by proceeding from the whole situation, and properly handle the existing or possible problems with the attitude of cooperation.
Wang Yi expressed at last that this visit of Premier Li Keqiang's visit to India fully reveals the determination, faith and sincerity of this government of China to deepen China-India strategic partnership. Premier Li's demeanor characterized by openness, self-confidence, frankness and down-to-earth has won popular support in India, established the image of China as a responsible power, and paved the way, indicated the direction and instilled new vitality into the common development of China-India relations next step. Meanwhile, this visit also sews the seeds of friendship, cooperation and mutual trust between the two peoples, which would surely take root and sprout, thrive, blossom and yield fruits in the near future.