China, India are strategic partners not rivals: Chinese media

China and India are strategic partners and not rivals and they should put aside differences on thorny issues like border dispute and carry forward with the good momentum in bilateral ties, official Chinese media said today.

Some of the Chinese analysts also called on the two countries to resolve the boundary row taking advantage of the historic opportunity of having strong leaderships at their helm.

"As there is good momentum in the bilateral relations, China and India can put aside their differences on such thorny issues as border disputes to make sure they will not hinder the partnership and friendship between the two countries," state-run Xinhua news agency said today in a commentary on the visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to New Delhi.

Such an approach will be conducive to the world and regional peace and stability, it said in the commentary titled "China India strategic partners not rivals".

Referring to Premier Li Keqiang's decision to choose India to be the first foreign destination after he took over the post last year as well Wang's current visit to establish contacts with Narendra Modi government, it said both countries witnessed the most frequent high-level exchanges between the two countries in nearly 60 years.

This is because they are clear know that mutual benefits and common development can only be achieved through building a strategic cooperative partnership, instead of rivalry, it said.

Wang's trip, with aims to cement the existing friendship and explore further cooperation between China and India, is expected to pave the way for a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to India later this year, it said.

Earlier, state-run Global Times in its report on the Wang's visit to New Delhi said strong leaderships in both countries represented by Modi and Xi created historic opportunity to resolve disputes.