Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Sunday started his first
official visit to China by extending his "very best wishes" for the
success of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
Beijing Vice-Mayor Chen
Gang describes the progress made in the construction of Olympic
venues to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (C) and Indian
Commerce Minister Kamal Nath (R) at the Olympic Project Exhibition
Center Sunday. [China Daily]
Hours after landing in the chilly morning, the 76-year-old
leader visited Beijing's Olympic Project Exhibition Center, beside
the iconic Bird's Nest, which displays models of the main sports
venues in the Olympic Village.
After about half an hour's tour in the center accompanied by
Chen Gang, vice-mayor of Beijing, Singh said he was impressed by
the "inspiration and talent" of the Chinese.
"I congratulate the people of China on the remarkable progress
they have made in preparing for the Olympics in August," said
Singh, wearing a blue turban and clad in a gray overcoat.
?
"My very best wishes to the people of China, particularly the
sportsmen and sportswomen, for the success of the Olympics," he
said.
He said that Beijing's preparations for the Games are a source
of inspiration for India, which will host the 2010 Commonwealth
Games.
The infrastructure and other work Beijing has done for the
Olympics merit attention from the Indian people while preparing for
big events like the Commonwealth Games, he added.
After the visit, Singh wrote in the guestbook: "On behalf of the
government and people of India, I extend my best wishes for the
success of the Olympic Games in Beijing. I hope that the Olympic
spirit and the warmth of the great city of Beijing will promote
friendship, peace and understanding among all the participants and
the countries they represent."
Hu Yisha, a guide at the center who accompanied Singh's
entourage, said the Indian prime minister looked and listened
attentively.
"For example, when Vice-Mayor Chen said it would be a big
problem to maintain the sports venues after the Games in such a
populous city, Singh seemed to readily acknowledge that," said
Hu.
The trip to the Olympic center was yesterday's only public
activity for Singh, who is accompanied by more than 50 journalists
and about 40 high-level business leaders on his visit, during which
he hopes to impart "substantive content" between the world's two
most populous countries.
Premier Wen Jiabao hosted a private dinner for Singh at
the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse last night.
The two leaders will hold formal talks today and also attend the
foundation ceremony of a China-India joint medical team.
Singh will deliver a speech, to be broadcast live, at the
Chinese Academy of Social Sciences tomorrow morning, and meet with
President Hu Jintao and top legislator Wu Bangguo in the
afternoon.
The two countries are expected to sign agreements in fields as
diverse as land management, housing, traditional medicine, railways
and geosciences during the visit.
In an interview to Xinhua before the trip, Singh said he came to
China "with a view to shaping a relationship that befits our two
countries and our future generations".
Analysts believe Singh's visit can be a pivot on which the
dragon and the elephant will dance more closely on the global
arena.
"India-China relations have today transcended their bilateral
dimension and have acquired global and strategic significance,"
Singh told Xinhua.
(China Daily, Xinhua News Agency January 14, 2008)
