A seven-member delegation, led by Mr. Sun Xiaoyu, Vice President of the DRC paid a visit to India from 9 to 16 March 2004 at the invitation of the Indian Research and Information System for the Non-Aligned and Other Developing Countries (RIS).

During the visit, the delegation visited some Indian government departments, academic societies and financial institutions, including Planning Commission of India, National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), National Institute of Information Technology (NIIT), Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research (IGIDR) Campus, Export-Import Bank of India, and National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). The delegation had extensive and in-depth academic exchanges with the RIS.

Deputy Chairman K. C. Pant of the Indian Planning Commission had a substantial meeting with the delegation. The concerned Indian government departments and academic research institutions expressed great interests in China's political and economic situation and strong hope for cooperation. They proposed to intensify mutual visits between the research institutions of the two countries, set up cooperation projects, strengthen the cooperation of the developing countries in international cooperation and enhance cooperation and exchanges in the fields of agriculture, free trade area, regional economic development and setting up cooperation forum. Vice President Sun positively responded to these proposals and expressed that the DRC would invite a RIS delegation to visit China in the near future for further discussions on the development and cooperation of China-India economic and trade relations. 

(Chinese Embassy in India)