国内英语新闻: Xi holds phone talk with Modi on bilateral ties

BEIJING, March 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday held a phone conversation with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Modi's invitation.

Modi first congratulated Xi again on being elected Chinese president, saying it demonstrates that Xi enjoys the support of the whole Chinese nation.

Both India and China are ancient civilizations with global influence, Modi said, adding that India will work with China to enhance high-level exchanges, deepen bilateral ties, strengthen coordination and cooperation in international affairs to further a closer developmental partnership between the two countries and promote global and regional peace and development.

Xi appreciated Modi's congratulation, saying the just-concluded annual sessions of the Chinese National People's Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) have achieved a great success.

At the sessions, a new state leadership and leadership of the CPPCC National Committee were elected, important proposals such as constitutional amendments were approved, while a new round of institutional restructuring of the State Council has started, Xi said.

China will deepen its reform and opening up, he said, adding that China, while realizing its own development, will make greater contribution to the common development and progress of the world.

Both as major developing countries and main emerging markets, China and India are staunch forces to promote world multi-polarization and economic globalization, Xi said.

"Over the past few years, I have met with Mr. Prime Minister for many times to determine that China and India will build a closer developmental partnership to make great headway in bilateral cooperation in a variety of areas," he said.

For a period of time, China-India relations have enjoyed a momentum of positive development, with deepening pragmatic cooperation and increasingly active people-to-people exchanges, the Chinese president said, adding that China will work with India to maintain such a momentum.

"I would like to enhance communication with Mr. Prime Minister on the overall, long-term and strategic issues in China-India ties as well as global and regional situation, so as to enhance political mutual trust, provide important guidance for bilateral ties and continue to upgrade the development level of the relationship between the two countries," Xi said.