Chinese President meets Indian PM

BEIJING - Chinese President Xi Jinping met with visiting Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the Great Hall of the People on Wednesday afternoon.

Xi asked Singh to extend his greetings to Indian President Pranab Mukherjee and President of the Indian National Congress Party Sonia Gandhi.

Xi said Singh is an old friend of the Chinese people who has made important contributions to the development of China-India relations.

He also praised Singh as a senior politician of India who started the country's economic reform process in the 1990s and has helped India make remarkable progress.

The president also recalled his last meeting with Singh in Durban, South Africa, during which they reached an important consensus on the development of bilateral relations. China-India ties have entered a phase of comprehensive development, Xi added.

Singh echoed Xi saying he will bring his greetings to Mukherjee and Gandhi. He said the relationship with China is a "high priority" in India's foreign policy.

Before the meeting, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang held talks with Singh on Wednesday morning. The two prime ministers also witnessed the signing of nine documents after talks.

Singh arrived in Beijing on Tuesday night for a three-day official visit to China.