Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo on Tuesday said China-India relations were "at the best period in history" and China would continue to enrich the partnership.

  Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo (R) shakes hands with Indian prime ministerial special envoy Prithviraj Chavan during their meeting in Beijing, capital of China, on July 29, 2008.(Xinhua Photo)

"The China-India relationship is now at the best period in history and facing hard-earned opportunity of development," Dai told Indian prime ministerial special envoy Prithviraj Chavan.

He said China was ready to make joint efforts with India to deepen reciprocal cooperation, strengthen coordination on international and regional issues and enrich the strategic partnership of cooperation, to promote the lasting, steady and healthy development of bilateral ties.

Chavan, Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, said the relationship has developed rapidly and the two nations shared broad consensus and common interests.

He said India would promote the development of bilateral ties and wished for the success of the Beijing Olympics.

The two also exchanged views on the nuclear energy cooperation between India and the United States.

Chavan also met with Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Jieyi and senior Communist Party of China (CPC) official Wang Jiarui on Tuesday.

Wang, head of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, agreed with Chavan, also general secretary of the Indian National Congress party, to strengthen the exchanges between the two parties.

(Xinhua News Agency July 30, 2008)