The friendship between China and India and their "mutually beneficial cooperation will change the look of Asia and the world at large", President Hu Jintao told Sonia Gandhi, president of India's ruling Congress Party on Friday.

President Hu Jintao greets Sonia Gandhi, president of India's ruling Congress Party, in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday. 

Gandhi met with Premier Wen Jiabao, too, and exchanged views on a range of bilateral and party-to-party issues with the two leaders.

With leaders on both sides appreciating the steadily growing bilateral ties, Hu, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said the CPC and the Chinese government have always tried to develop ties with India from a strategic and global point of view.

The CPC is willing to maintain the good momentum in developing relations with major political parties in India, Hu said, and pledged to enhance the exchange of young politicians between the CPC and the Congress Party.

Gandhi, too, said she would like to see more active party-to-party exchanges.

The widow of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi is the first leader of a foreign political party to meet Hu and Wen since the conclusion of the 17th CPC National Congress on October 21.

Sonia Gandhi's visit shows the great importance the two sides attach to the development of bilateral ties, Hu said.

Her five-day visit to China comes just before Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's impending visit later this year.

The Congress Party chief said she treasured the rare honor bestowed on her, and was impressed by the achievements of the Chinese people as great changes had taken place since her last visit.

Wen recalled his meeting with Sonia Gandhi when she accompanied her husband to China in 1988. At that time, he said, late leader Deng Xiaoping told Rajiv Gandhi that without the development of China and India, the next century could not be called "the century of Asia".

China hopes to see a prosperous India because the two countries, being the most populous and among the largest developing countries, are neighbors, friends and partners, Wen said.

Sonia Gandhi will deliver a speech at Tsinghua University on Saturday before flying to Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi Province, and one of China's ancient capitals famous for the terracotta warriors. She will fly to Shanghai from there.

(China Daily October 27, 2007)