China seeks to be a better neighbor to India by turning warming relations into a strategic cooperative partnership that will benefit their populations of more than a billion people.

Chinese President Xi Jinping sent his greetings to India on its 66th Republic Day on Monday, telling Indian President Pranab Mukherjee that Beijing is happy with its neighbor's development achievements, in pursuit of a "great dream" of national rejuvenation.

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As two ancient civilizations, both India and China are one in efforts to make their societies greater, Xi said.

The president said China is keen on going out on a limb for India in cooperation and partnerships that will lead to creating more wealth and stability. He added that it is critical to lay down the foundation of cooperation this year, when Beijing and Delhi celebrate the 65th anniversary of forging diplomatic ties, state-run news outlet Xinhua reported.

For his part, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a message that, in the past couple of years, India and China have managed to keep the momentum in joint efforts for mutual development.

Li said China is prepared to buckle down to work with India in several fields of development.

On Tuesday, Xinhua reported Beijing was not buying the show of close ties between Washington and New Delhi. China played down the warming ties between the world's two largest democracies as "fluff" and no more than a "superficial" arrangement.

In 1962, India and China traded barbs over a border dispute and the two are still locked in dispute over areas in Kashmir and the Himalayas.

In a commentary, Xinhua said U.S. President Barack Obama's India visit is more "symbolic" than pragmatic, adding disagreements between Washington and Delhi may be as long as the geographical distance between them.  

TagsNarenda Modi, Li Keqiang, Barack Obama