Expo tour impressive: Indian president

Indian President Pratibha Patil (C) is welcomed at the Indian Pavilion at the site of Expo 2010 Shanghai on Sunday. President Pratibha Patil is on a state visit to China from May 26-31. [Xinhua]

SHANGHAI - Visiting Indian President Pratibha Patil here on Sunday said her tour to the Shanghai World Expo was "impressive".

Patil, who arrived in Shanghai Saturday afternoon, said the Expo fully demonstrated the world's technological achievement, and the exchanges between different countries.

The main part of the India's pavilion featured a bamboo-made dome, which was processed in Anji County, east China's Zhejiang Province. Patil said the dome not only showcased the combination of India's culture and technology, but also the India-China cooperation.

When touring the China pavilion, Patil expressed appreciation of  China's efforts in preparing the grand event, and extended congratulations to the success of the Shanghai World Expo.

"India admires China's progress in development," said Patil.

Later Sunday, Patil unveiled a statue of India's great poet and writer Rabindranath Tagore in downtown Shanghai, and met with Yu Zhengsheng, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee.

Patil arrived in Beijing on Wednesday, kicking off her six-day state visit to China. Shanghai was her last leg of her six-day visit to China.