Beijing, Aug 24: India's Ambassador-designate to China, Nalin Surie has expressed confidence in taking Sino-Indian relations forward - both quantitatively and qualitatively - during his tenure here.
"I am looking forward to building on what we have done in the last three years, particularly what we have done during Prime Minister's visit and take the process of bilateral relations to a new level - both qualitatively and quantitatively," Surie told reporters on his arrival here.

Surie arrived here yesterday to take up the key diplomatic assignment in place of Shivshankar Menon following his appointment as India's High Commissioner in Pakistan.
Meanwhile, China expressed confidence that both sides could seize the current "favourable opportunity" to further build on Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's recent landmark visit here.
"We hope both sides could seize the current favourable opportunity so as to promote the development of Sino-Indian good neighbourliness and mutually beneficial cooperation," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said.



Sources said Surie is likely to present his credentials to Chinese President Hu Jintao some time next month.



Before being appointed Ambassador to China, Surie, who belongs to the 1973 batch of Indian Foreign Service, was India's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, Ambassador to Poland, Joint Secretary (East Asia) and then Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs.


Bureau Report