Chinese vice president meets with Indian FM

BEIJING, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan on Monday met with visiting Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in Beijing.

Referring to the upcoming informal meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Wang said he believed the two leaders would reach more strategic consensus on bilateral ties and major issues of common concern.

Wang said China would continue to give top priority to development under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

He said China expected India to play a bigger role within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and work with China to jointly safeguard multilateral trade system.

China also hoped the two countries would move toward the goal of establishing a closer partnership of development, according to Wang.

Swaraj said India always attached great importance to relations with China, and stood ready to maintain high-level exchanges, enhance strategic mutual trust, and implement the consensus reached between the two leaders. Enditem