China is willing to make joint efforts with India to promote their bilateral ties, said Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing in Beijing Wednesday during a phone talk with his Indian counterpart K. Natwar Singh.

Li said the friendship between China and India conforms to the fundamental interests of the two peoples, and the development of bilateral ties has good momentum at present.

China and India will jointly celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence this year, and China would like to work together with India to push forward the constructive cooperative partnership between the two countries, Li said.

Singh, the new Indian external affairs minister, said India attaches great importance to the friendly relations between India and China, and India is willing to promote the bilateral ties with China in an all-round way under the guidance of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence.

The two sides also exchanged views on the Iraqi issue.

(Xinhua News Agency May 27, 2004)