New Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang has said that China wants to take Sino-India ties to new stage. In a telephonic conversation with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday, Mr Li said, enhanced bilateral cooperation will contribute to enlarging the two countries' space for development and common interests.

State-run Xinhua news agency quoted Mr Li saying that China will attach great importance to its ties with India, and would like to work with it to promote their relations of strategic cooperation and partnership to a new stage.

Dr Mammohan Singh said, India is willing to work with the new Chinese leadership to explore the potential for mutually beneficial cooperation and make even greater achievement in bilateral ties so that the two countries could set an example for state-to-state relations in the 21st century.

Dr Singh said, bilateral ties over the past few years have seen a comprehensive development and continuous progress in cooperation and exchanges in various fields.

Meanwhile, China's long standing Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi was yesterday appointed as country's chief negotiator of India-China boundary dispute. Mr Yang replaced Dai Bingguo, the veteran Chinese chief negotiator of India-China boundary dispute for a decade.

The 3000-member National People's Conference also approved four new Vice Premiers, five State Councillors, who are ranked higher than Cabinet Ministers as well as 25 Ministers.