Wen calls for Sino-Indian co-operation in global fora

After a day-long meeting with various sub-groups discussing collaboration in the Railways, specially the high speed trains, water and energy, the high power delegation led by Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia had an hour-long meeting with Wen.

It was supposed to be an half-an-hour meet, but it went for an hour during which Wen has proposed that the strategic economic dialogue scope should be expanded to include dialogue on collaboration in international forums like WTO, G-20 and Climate Change as well as in the financial sector.

The Chinese Premier also spoke of India?s capabilities in IT and pharmaceuticals and talked about creating an investor friendly environment.

"It was a productive meeting" to set the tone for collaboration in a number of different economic areas, Ahluwalia told the Indian media.

"We have nationally different perspectives here and there, but bottom line is that we have common interests. We should not look at India China in a static context but a dynamic context," he said, adding that China was set to become the largest economy in the next 20 years while India poised to become third largest.

The bonhomie at the meeting created a different setting between the two countries which last week had exchanged strong statements over India?s plans to take part in oil exploration in the Vietnamese blocks in the South China Sea.

The Chinese delegation was led by Zhang Ping, Chairman, National Development and Reform Commission, a Chinese equivalent for Planning Commission. .