PM hosts dinner for Chinese Premier Wen

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday night hosted a private dinner for Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, who is in New Delhi on a three-day visit aimed at promoting friendship and expanding cooperation between the two Asian countries.

The dinner was attended by a select few guests like Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and her counterpart in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley, CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury, BJD leader Jay Panda and National Security Adviser Shivshanker Menon.

Soon after his arrival in New Delhi, Wen said, "My current visit is aimed at promoting friendship, expanding cooperation, building on our past achievements and opening up new dimensions

for mutual benefit and common development of the two countries."

A packed programme awaits Wen who would hold delegation-level talks with Singh tomorrow when both leaders would discuss some of the key issues, including India's concern over stapled visas to residents of Jammu and Kashmir and trade ties and UNSC.

Observing that 'China-India relations face major opportunities and enjoy broad prospects', the Chinese premier, who is accompanied by the biggest-ever delegation of 400 businessmen, senior ministers and officials, said in a statement that the friendship and cooperation between the two sides have seen comprehensive and rapid progress.

India is the first leg of Wen's two-nation trip. He will also pay an official visit to Pakistan on Friday.