Sino-India ties need more substance: Kalam

Suggesting that India and China take a long-term view of their relationship, President A P J Abdul Kalam on Tuesday night said that more substance should be added to the strategic relationship.

"The regional and global perspective of our ties further necessitates that we take a long-term and strategic view of our relationship. We need to add more substance and meaning to our strategic relationship," he said in his speech at the banquet in honour of Chinese President Hu Jintao.

Kalam said the two countries could together strengthen the global quest for multipolarisation and multilateralism, and harness the positive forces of globalisation for the benefit of developing countries. The traditional friendship and civilisational contact continued to provide a strong underpinning to the development of present day dialogue and interaction, he added.

Favouring a joint mission in the area of trade for higher and more competitive output, Kalam said: "This will lead to a more prosperous and better world. Our healthy economic growth and steady national development is a stabilising factor in today's international economic order."

Observing that the positive trends in India-China relations promoted peace, stability and harmonious development in the region, the President said: "close cooperation between us is imperative for the overall betterment of humanity."