Xi talks on BRICS co-op, ties with Russia, South Africa

Press Trust of India: China and India have had long-standing exchanges. What policy will the new Chinese leadership pursue towards India? Will there be any change in China's position on the China-India boundary question? How will China and India enhance cooperation both bilaterally and in international affairs?

Xi Jinping: China and India enjoy a traditional friendship. They are the two largest developing countries in the world, and their combined population exceeds 2.5 billion. To jointly follow a path of peaceful development and development through cooperation meets the common interests of the two countries. It will also do a great service to Asia and the world at large.

In May 2010, I had a very good meeting with President Patil during her visit to China. We agreed that we need to fully tap the huge potential of China-India cooperation and raise China-India relations to a higher level. In recent years, with concerted efforts of the two sides, China-India relations have made important headway. We have strengthened our friendly interactions by properly handling differences and seeking common development. China sees its relations with India as one of the most important bilateral relationships, and is committed to pushing forward the China-India strategic and cooperative partnership.

At present, both China and India are pursuing development at a faster pace. This has offered more opportunities for the two countries to boost mutually beneficial cooperation. We should seize these opportunities and take solid steps to bolster cooperation and exchanges in all fields and take China-India relations to a new height. First, we should maintain strategic communication and keep our bilateral relations on the right track. Second, we should harness each other's comparative strengths and expand win-win cooperation in infrastructure, mutual investment and other areas. Third, we should strengthen cultural ties and increase the mutual understanding and friendship between our peoples. Fourth, we should expand coordination and collaboration in multilateral affairs to jointly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries and tackle global challenges. Fifth, we should accommodate each other's core concerns and properly handle problems and differences existing between the two countries.

The boundary question is a complex issue left from history, and solving the issue won't be easy. However, as long as we keep up our friendly consultations, we can eventually arrive at a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement. Pending the final settlement of the boundary question, the two sides should work together to maintain peace and tranquility in border areas and prevent the boundary question from affecting the overall development of bilateral relations.

Valor Economico of Brazil: How would you assess the current state of China-Brazil relations? How will China increase its economic cooperation and trade with Brazil? Will China import more high value-added products from Brazil?

Xi Jinping: My last visit to Brazil was in February 2009, during which I had very good talks with President Lula da Silva. He later paid a visit to China and we met again during that visit. I care deeply about President Lula's health and wish him well.

China and Brazil are the biggest developing countries in the eastern and western hemispheres respectively, and both are emerging markets. China values its friendship and cooperation with Brazil. Twenty years ago, Brazil became the first developing country to establish strategic partnership with China. Since then, China-Brazil relations have come a long way, bringing huge benefits to the two countries and peoples, creating opportunities for each other's development and contributing to the building of a more just and equitable international order and international system.

China-Brazil relationship is now at its best in history and has assumed greater strategic and overarching significance. During the upcoming Fifth BRICS Leaders Meeting, President Dilma Rousseff and I will hold a bilateral meeting. I look forward to a sincere exchange of views with her on ways to broaden and deepen China-Brazil relations.

Business cooperation provides the material foundation of China-Brazil relations. China is now Brazil's top trading partner while Brazil is China's tenth biggest trading partner. As the two countries' development interests are more closely interconnected than ever before, business cooperation is playing an increasingly important role in growing our economies and improving the wellbeing of our peoples. China will work with Brazil to further tap the potential of economic complementarities, improve trade mix and expand cooperation areas. The two sides may also harness respective strengths, boost mutually complementary industrial cooperation, and develop new cooperation models so as to elevate our business ties to a new high.

I am confident that with efforts of the two sides, bilateral business cooperation will make new breakthroughs in terms of both scale and quality, thus enabling our two countries to better achieve sustained development, adapt to new developments in the ever-deepening economic globalization and fend off international economic risks.