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Youths of India-China must work together to improve ties: Wen


Beijing, Sept 22 (PTI) Mingling freely with a 500-strong Indian youth delegation here, Premier Wen Jiabao today made a passionate plea to the youths of India and China to develop a profound understanding of the strategic significance of the bilateral ties and work shoulder to shoulder to improve them. I believe the youth of the two countries with vision and ambition will have profound understanding of the strategic significance of China and India relations and develop even firmer conviction in peace and win-win cooperation, Wen told the Indian youth delegation, the largest ever to visit China. The future of China-India ties is in the hands of the youth. Asia and the rest of the world will see a brighter future if Chinese and Indian youth walk hand in hand and shoulder to shoulder, he told the Indian delegation on a 10-day tour led by Union Sports Minister Ajay Maken to enhance people-to-people understanding and boost bilateral ties. We need wisdom and courage (drawn) from our rich history and cultural heritage and continue to make relations healthier and work harder to make our countries better places to live, Wen said. He underlined that the youth of the two countries have the ability and responsibility to develop a shared vision of future growth of the bilateral relations so that they could move together to make the Asian sky more glamorous and the future of the world more bright. The Indian delegates, drawn from all parts of the country, sang and danced with their Chinese counterparts converting the Great Hall of People, the seat of power of Chinese government, into an Indian mela. They were joined by 500 Chinese students and youth drawn from various universities here. The festive atmosphere of a thousand Indian and Chinese youths dancing in their traditional art forms prompted Premier Wen to freely mingle with them. The atmosphere in the sprawling ornate hall was so electric that as soon as the Chinese leader finished his speech, Wen headed to groups of Indians dressed in their traditional attire, goading them to envision a bigger picture of bringing the two populous countries together. The excitement was such that one of the delegates from Rajasthan took out his colourful turban and put it on the head of the Chinese Premier. Wen's warm gesture prompted Makan to say that it showed the importance China attached to developing bilateral ties with India. He said he has extended an invitation to the Chinese government to send a 500-member youth delegation to India, making it one of the biggest bilateral exchange programmes. The first 100-member Indian youth delegation visited China from October 8 to 17 in 2006 followed by the return visit of a 100-member delegation from China from November 20 to 29, 2006. Some of the senior Chinese officials said it was rare to see the Great Hall People, which symbolised protocols, hosting such an informal event with a festive atmosphere. Chinese Premier's positive message of friendship came in the backdrop of some strong statements by China asserting that any exploration activity by India in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims as its territorial waters, was an infringement of its sovereignty. The festive atmosphere of a thousand Indian and Chinese youths dancing in their traditional art forms prompted Premier Wen to freely mingle with them. The atmosphere in the sprawling ornate hall was so electric that as soon as the Chinese leader finished his speech, Wen headed to groups of Indians dressed in their traditional attire, goading them to envision a bigger picture of bringing the two populous countries together. The excitement was such that one of the delegates from Rajasthan took out his colourful turban and put it on the head of the Chinese Premier. Wen's warm gesture prompted Makan to say that it showed the importance China attached to developing bilateral ties with India. He said he has extended an invitation to the Chinese government to send a 500-member youth delegation to India, making it one of the biggest bilateral exchange programmes. The first 100-member Indian youth delegation visited China from October 8 to 17 in 2006 followed by the return visit of a 100-member delegation from China from November 20 to 29, 2006. Some of the senior Chinese officials said it was rare to see the Great Hall People, which symbolised protocols, hosting such an informal event with a festive atmosphere. Chinese Premier's positive message of friendship came in the backdrop of some strong statements by China asserting that any exploration activity by India in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims as its territorial waters, was an infringement of its sovereignty.

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