Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visits India pavilion at Shanghai Expo

Days after his "positive" meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao today visited the India pavilion at Shanghai Expo and admired its "beautiful architecture" based on the Buddhist-style 'Sanchi Stupa', saying it left a "deep impression" on him.

In what is being seen as a goodwill gesture, Wen, who is to visit India in December, went to the pavilion accompanied by vice-premier Wang Qishan, foreign minister Yang Jiechi, influential Communist Party secretary Yu Zhengsheng and mayor Han Zheng, on the final day of the six-month-long event.

"Premier Wen Jiabao was at the pavilion for about 20 minutes during which he saw the various displays at the Pavilion and watched the Holographic Show. An Indian classical dance performance was organised in honour of the premier," said a statement issued by Indian consul general Riva Ganguly Das.

"The premier took a lot of interest in the green technologies used in the pavilion. While admiring the beautiful architecture of the pavilion, which is based on the 'Sanchi Stupa' and has been carefully selected to recall the Buddhist link between India and China, he remarked that Buddhism had come to China from India.

"While leaving, he said that both India and China are ancient civilisations. The India pavilion, which truly reflected India's civilisational heritage, had left a deep impression on him. He also signed the visitors' book," the statement said.

Wen also visited pavilions of few other countries during the expo, which drew over 71 million visitors.

The Indian pavilion at the expo, which was modelled on 'Sanchi Stupa', had a grand ornamental composition with a set of copper plates inspired by the tree of life interwoven to its surface. A wind generator atop the dome demonstrated the efficient use of renewable energy, green and sustainable technology.

The pavilion being maintained by the Indian Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) was also visited by President Pratibha Patil in May this year during her China visit, besides leaders and officials of various countries.

The Chinese premier's visit to Indian pavilion came two days after his meeting with Prime Minister Singh in Hanoi on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit, during which both sides agreed to address their mutual concerns.

Wen also said he would be visiting New Delhi in December for comprehensive talks on bilateral issues.

On the Singh-Wen meeting in Hanoi, the state-run Chinese media yesterday said it sent out a "positive" signal ahead of the Chinese premier's India visit as the two leaders agreed to seek "a just and reasonable" solution to the border issue.