The Communist Party of China on Tuesday confirmed that Congress President Sonia Gandhi has accepted President Hu Jintao’s invitation to visit the country.
Sees Congress as an important political force, wants its friendship
BEIJING: The Communist Party of China (CPC) on Tuesday confirmed that Congress President Sonia Gandhi has accepted President Hu Jintao’s invitation to visit the country.
The party said the visit will further strengthen the friendship between the leaders of the two countries. “We were pleased to be informed that Mrs Sonia Gandhi has included her visit to China in her recent overseas visit agenda,” said vice-minister of the international department of the CPC central committee Zhang Zhijun.
“We attach great importance to this visit and the international department is making every possible preparation for her visit to China,” said Zhang.
He said President Jintao had met Gandhi during his last visit to India and invited her to China. “According to my knowledge Mrs Gandhi has accepted the invitation with pleasure,” he said without divulging the dates for the high-level visit.
“We are confident that her visit to China will strengthen mutual understanding and friendship between the two countries and promote exchanges between the two political parties. We can strive for the development of our state-to-state relations,” he said.
It is not clear if Gandhi, who is the UPA chairperson, will visit Beijing before the 17th National Party Congress of the CPC, which will start in Beijing from October 15.Sonia last visited China in 1996. Her 2003 trip to China was cancelled.
The CPC is keen on Sonia visiting China. She had visited the country in 1988 along with her late husband Rajiv Gandhi when he was Prime Minister, which was considered a ground-breaking event in Sino-Indian relations. “The Indian National Congress is an important political force. We appreciate the party for the role it has played in safeguarding friendly relations between China and India and promoting cooperation between the two countries,” Zhang said. He said the CPC maintained “sound” inter-party relations with major political parties.
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