Beijing, February 27th—Liu Haixing, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC), met here today with Pradeep Kumar Rawat, outgoing Ambassador of India to China. 

Liu spoke positively of Pradeep Kumar Rawat’s contributions to the improvement and development of China–India relations during his tenure. He said, in recent years, under the strategic guidance and personal promotion of President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, China–India relations have demonstrated positive momentum, from the “restart” at the meeting in Kazan to the “renewed enhancement” at the meeting in Tianjin. This serves the common interests of both countries and meets the shared expectations of the two peoples. Inter-party exchanges constitute an important component of China–India relations. The Communist Party of China stands ready to work with Indian political parties to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, deepen exchanges and mutual learning, enhance people-to-people bonds, and contribute to practical cooperation in economy and trade, people-to-people and cultural exchanges and cooperation between localities, so as to promote the sustained, sound and stable development of bilateral relations. As two ancient civilizations, major developing countries and important members of the Global South, China and India should strengthen communication and coordination on international and regional issues and inject more stability and certainty into a world full of turbulence and transformation. 

Pradeep Kumar Rawat thanked the Chinese side for its support during his tenure in China and said that under the close communication and strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, bilateral relations have returned to the right track. As two ancient civilizations and major countries, India and China enjoy broad prospects for the development of bilateral relations. Inter-party exchanges have long played a unique role in enhancing mutual understanding and trust between the two sides. India stands ready to continue to take the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries as a guide, resume institutionalized exchanges between the political parties and at local levels, deepen people-to-people and cultural exchanges and cooperation, and promote new progress in bilateral relations. 

Sun Haiyan, Vice-minister of the IDCPC, was present.