Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and his Indian counterpart, Pranab Mukherjee, met in New York on Sunday to discuss deepening relations between the two Asian neighbors.

The development of China and India has brought important interests to both nations, and has had positive impact on peace and development in the region and the world at large, Yang said.

Developing a strategic partnership of cooperation with India is an established long-term goal of the Chinese government, Yang said, adding that the two sides should view and handle bilateral relations from a strategic height and a long-term perspective so as to contribute to world peace and development.

Yang expressed the hope that the two countries would maintain high-level exchanges, conduct strategic, defense and security dialogues, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, properly handle border and other issues, strengthen coordination in United Nations affairs and other major international matters, and constantly advance bilateral relations.

Mukherjee, for his part, said that India-China ties have developed rapidly and that the exchanges of high-level visits have forcefully promoted bilateral ties and cooperation of mutual benefit.

Leaders of the Indian government and political parties look forward to visiting China, Mukherjee said, adding that India has decided to open a tourism office in Beijing within the year and hopes efforts like these would further boost cooperation in various fields.

Mukherjee stressed that there is enough room for the two countries to develop and cooperate and that the development of India and China will have lasting influence on world peace and development.

India stands ready to work with China to strengthen cooperation in bilateral matters and major international and regional affairs to facilitate the development of their strategic partnership of cooperation, Mukherjee said.

(Xinhua News Agency September 24, 2007)