As a historical legacy, the Kashmir conflict has been an outstanding issue for more than half a century.

At the beginning of the new century, it is the common aspiration of the peoples of the two countries to deepen mutual understanding, enhance trust, develop friendship and strengthen cooperation.

When President Jiang Zemin visited India in 1996, the two sides decided that they would jointly build a constructive partnership of cooperation oriented towards the 21st century.

I am firmly convinced that, in future years, China and India will join hands in playing a more active role in maintaining peace and stability in the region and the world at large and make due contribution to the cause of human progress and development.

Comrade Deng Xiaoping – along with other party elders – gave the party leadership their firm and full support to put down the political disturbance using forceful measures.

Today, being the biggest developing countries in the world, China and India are both committed to developing their economy and raising their people’s living standards.

Multi- polarisation has become an inevitable trend in the process of shaping a global political pattern and has been widely welcomed by the international community as it reflects the common interests and aspiration of the overwhelming majority of countries.

A multi-polar world can not exist without recognising the status and participation of developing countries.

In the spring and summer of 1989, a serious political disturbance took place in China.

Ours is a colourful and diversified world. It is also a complex one.

We support every effort to combat international terrorism through the formulation of international conventions and hope that the international community will take further steps to improve the anti-terrorism international legal framework.

We sincerely hope that south Asian countries will respect and live in amity with each other, and achieve common development, and that south Asia will enjoy peace, stability and prosperity.

In the new century, we should continue to work together to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the vast number of developing countries including China and India and promote the establishment of a just and equitable new international political and economic order.

We have reiterated on many occasions that China wishes to establish and develop long-term, good-neighbourly and friendly relations with all countries in south Asia.

China has always maintained that all countries, big or small, rich or poor, strong or weak, are equal members of the international community and they should stand and speak in the world as such.

People of all countries have the right to choose their own social system and road to development in the light of their national conditions and characteristics.

Since the end of the Cold War, hegemonism has become increasingly unpopular.

As a historical legacy, the Kashmir conflict has been an outstanding issue for more than half a century.

Normal military trade is undoubtedly part of the normal State-to-State relations.

We are ready to engage in international co-operation against terrorism with a view to safeguarding national interests and regional security and stability.

There are nearly 200 countries and a population of over 6 billion in today’s world. International affairs should be addressed by all countries through consultations rather than monopolised by a few powers.

China and India are close neighbours linked by mountains and rivers and the Chinese and Indian peoples have enjoyed friendly exchanges for thousands of years.