Beijing: China is keen to host Prime Minister Narendra Modi who along with Chinese President Xi Jinping could create a new era of "togetherness" and change the contours of Sino-India ties forever, BJP lawmakers said on Friday.
On a goodwill visit to interact with top officials of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC), the 13-member BJP delegation headed by former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Bhagat Singh Koshyari said China is now looking at India as a strong ally.
"For the first time, China is looking at India as a strong ally who can be a partner, who can walk together shoulder-to- shoulder," Koshyari told Indian media.
"Our collective impression is they are very much excited about the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Modi. They have great hopes and expectation from it," another BJP MP Tarun Vijay said.
"Key word is togetherness," he said adding that the strong and decisive leadership in Delhi and Beijing "may change the contours of the relationship forever."
"Modi's visit to Beijing will create a new era of togetherness, this is my impression," Vijay said. Modi's visit is expected to take place early next year. But before Modi's visit, BJP president Amit Shah is expected to visit China, said Koshyari.
Academic institutions such as Peking University are keen to organise an interface between students and Modi, said Vijay who visited the University. The delegation concluded its week-long visit today during which they interacted with CPC leaders and visited two Party schools.
Vijay said young people in China are "enamoured by Modi's charisma" after they watched him speak in Australia and US.
"Modi's India is enchanting Chinese young minds. This is something we never expected here," he said. Koshyari said the delegation had in-depth interaction on bilateral issues with top CPC officials and with the two party schools in Guangzhou and in Beijing where most of the Chinese officials and leaders underwent their training.
He said that during their interactions at CPC schools, the Chinese officials recalled Modi's comment to Xi at their meeting in Brazil that India and China are "two bodies with one soul".
On the border conflicts, the BJP leaders said the issue should be diplomatically resolved through negotiations.
The BJP lawmakers apprised their Chinese counterparts about Pakistan's role in fomenting terrorism in India. The Chinese side showed keen interest to put up a joint fight against terrorism as it too faced the same problem in Xinjiang.
