A 6-member Chinese delegation, headed by Chinese Water Resources Minister Wang Shucheng, made a stopover visit to India from May 22 to 24 at the invitation of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID). The delegation exchanged views with Indian officials on issues of mutual concern such as the preparatory work for ICID Conference to be held in Beijing in 2005 and the cooperation between China and India in the area of water resources management.

During the visit, Minister Wang was invited to give a lecture entitled "Water of China" at the Indian Central Board of Irrigation and Power. The lecture was attended by forty-plus people including Mr. R. Jeyaseelan, Chairman of Indian National Committee on Irrigation and Drainage and Chairman of Indian Central Water Commission, Mr. M. Gopalakrishnan, General Secretary of ICID and Indian scientists and scholars of water resources. They responded positively and warmly to the lecture, and showed especially great interests in China's achievements and experience in the water resources area and the cooperation in water resources between India and China. Both sides expressed that they would make more cooperation and exchanges to further develop China-India relations. Chinese Ambassador to India Mr. Hua Junduo attended the lecture.

(Chinese Embassy in India)