President Xi reaches out to India

President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, June 23, 2016. [Photo by Rao Aimin/Xinhua]

Common interests weigh much more heavily than any concrete disputes between China and India, President Xi Jinping said on Thursday.

The two countries should enhance pragmatic cooperation in various sectors including trade, railways, industrial parks, energy and power, information technology and environmental protection, Xi said.

The Chinese president made the remarks while meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit. This year marks the 15th anniversary of the founding of the SCO.

Xi congratulated Modi on India's progress in applying to join the SCO as a member state. India will sign a memorandum of understanding over its obligations to become a member state of the SCO, as will Pakistan.

Xi welcomed Modi to come to China to attend the G20 summit to be held in Hangzhou in September. He also said that he will travel to India in October to attend the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) summit.

Modi thanked China for supporting his country's application to the SCO. He said that India would like to enhance practical cooperation with China and boost communication in regional and international affairs.

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