New Delhi, October 18th -- President of the Indian National Congress Party (INC) and President of the ruling United Progressive Alliance Sonia Gandhi met here today with Yu Zhengsheng, Member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee and Secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), who is paying a visit to India.

Sonia Gandhi first expressed congratulations on the full success of the Beijing Olympic Games. She said that the relations between India and China have gone through continuous development since 1988 when the visit of late Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi ushered in the new era of India-China relations. It is not only the wish of the Indian people but also the consensus of all parties and the Government of India to expand friendship and cooperation with China. The INC values highly its relations with the CPC, and views inter-party exchanges as an important means to further promote the state-to-state relations, said Sonia Gandhi.

Yu Zhengsheng reciprocated by thanking India for its active support and participation in the Beijing Olympics. He also thanked Sonia Gandhi for her contribution to consolidating and developing China-India friendship. Yu said that with the personal efforts of leaders of both countries, China-India relations have taken on a sound momentum of comprehensive progress. Opportunities abound in this regard. Closer exchanges and cooperation will help the two sides to better cope with pressure and challenges and fulfill the common tasks of development. The CPC maintains friendly and regular exchanges with the INC and other major political parties in India. The CPC is ready to work together with the Indian side in executing the consensus reached by leaders of the two nations and continue to enrich and deepen the strategic and cooperative partnership between China and India, said Yu.

Also present at the meeting were Liu Hongcai, vice-minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, Ding Xuexiang, director-general of the general office of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the CPC and Zhang Yan, Chinese ambassador to India.