Beijing, Sept 03: BJP president Venkaiah Naidu has embarked on a week-long visit of China from today to enhance Sino-Indian bilateral ties and strengthen party-to-party relations with the ruling Communist Party of China. A senior official from the international department of the CPC central committee told a news agency here that Naidu, heading a seven-member delegation, is scheduled to visit China from today till Sept 09.

The visit comes two month after Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's Visit to China during which New Delhi and Beijing took several initiatives and charted out a road map to step up bilateral ties in the 21st century. Sources said Naidu's visit and talks with top Chinese leaders would further enhance India-China relations and boost BJP-CPC ties.

Earlier this month, the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), the youth wing of the BJP also made its first-ever visit to China. BJYM president G Kishan Reddy, who led the delegation, held wide-ranging talks with the leadership of China youth league, the youth wing of the CPC as well as All-China Youth Federation, an affiliate of the CPC on forging organisational link-ups and promote youth exchanges between India and China.

The CPC last month invited a high-level delegation from the CPI(M) led by politburo member Sitaram Yechuri and another delegation from the CPI led by V V Raghavan, secretary, national council and briefed them about the important consensus reached during Vajpayee's visit.

The CPI (M) and CPI leaders discussed international and party-to-party issues with CPC leaders. Bureau Report