Li's visit features trust, sincerity, benefit

BEIJING - Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has concluded visits to India, Pakistan, Switzerland and Germany in his maiden foreign tour featuring trust, sincerity, benefit and progress.

In India, the first stop, Li's visit helped build mutual trust between the two neighboring countries.

As major developing countries and important emerging markets on the world stage, China and India are natural partners in reshaping global rules.

"There are far more shared interests between China and India than the differences that we have," Li said during his stay in New Delhi. Echoing Li's view, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said India and China were partners, not opponents.

The Chinese premier's visit to India has revealed China's sincere and practical attitude toward its ties with India, enhanced strategic and political trust between the world's two largest developing nations and dispelled some of the misgivings that have long haunted the two.

On China's relationship with Pakistan, Li said the two neighbors would always be good partners and brothers that were reliable and sincere to each other.

Li's visit fully demonstrated China's "sincerity" to consolidate its traditional friendship with Pakistan and promote practical cooperation.

Meanwhile, the visiting Chinese delegation clearly sensed the "sincerity" that Pakistan's diffenrent political parties showed in their joint commitment to Pakistan-China friendship. With sincerity from both sides, China and Pakistan will surely have strong prospects for a closer relationship.

In Switzerland, mutual benefit is the key words to sum up Li's visit.

During his stay in the Alpine country, the Chinese premier witnessed the conclusion of free trade talks between the two partners, which, according to Chinese Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng, would be one of the most comprehensive and high-level accords China has signed with a foreign country in recent years.

As the two are highly complementary economies, a free trade agreement will bring huge benefits to companies and consumers in both countries.

It also sends a strong signal to the world that one country cannot necessarily profit at the expense of others in a globalized era and a win-win result can only be achieved through an open policy.

Germany was the last leg of Li's four-nation tour. With concerted efforts from both sides, China-Germany relations have made steady progress.

"Germany is the first EU country I am visiting since taking office as Chinese premier," Li said. "That shows the new Chinese leadership highly values China's relations with the EU."

During his stay in Germany, Li and his German counterpart Angela Merkel mapped out a future course for bilateral cooperation and reached important consensus on deepening the strategic partnership.

And the two sides voiced opposition to trade protectionism, standing for a negotiated solution to trade disputes between China and the EU.

The leaders of the two countries have fostered a strong working relationship and personal friendship. And on this basis, China-Germany relations will surely be on the fast track for comprehensive progress and, in turn, lift China-EU cooperation to a higher level.

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