April 1, 2010 marks the 60th Anniversary of the establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the Republic of India and the People’s Republic of China. On this occasion, messages of felicitations have been exchanged between the Presidents, Prime Ministers and External Affairs Ministers of the two countries.

2. Conveying “warm greetings and good wishes” to the leadership and friendly people of China, President Smt. Pratibha Patil, in her letter to the Chinese President, observed that “our bilateral relations have gained in strength and momentum and have assumed global and strategic dimensions” as a result of efforts by the two sides”.

3. In his message to the Chinese Premier, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh stated that “India – China relations have diversified into almost all areas of human endeavour. They have achieved a high level of maturity that serves the interests of both our peoples and the cause of peace, stability and progress in the region and the world. We share a Strategic and Cooperative Partnership for Peace and Prosperity. We are important trade partners. We cooperate closely on many global issues. The Shared Vision for the 21st Century which we signed in 2008 provides the roadmap for our continued interaction and cooperation in the years ahead.” PM added that “we regard the future of India – China relations with optimism” and that he looked forward to working with the Chinese Premier “to harness the vast potential for the further expansion of our ties to realize the mutual aspirations of our two peoples”.

4. In his communication to the Foreign Minister of China, External Affairs Minister Shri S.M. Krishna remarked that India and China, “are rapidly developing countries which share the objective of improving the living standards of our people. In recent times, we have emerged as two of the fastest growing economies in the world”. He reiterated “our resolve to work closely with China for the peace and prosperity of our region and the globe”.

New Delhi
April 1, 2010