Signaling a readiness to look beyond its ideological brethren among the Left, the CPC came to the Congress with a proposal to hold a conference in Beijing to mark the 20th anniversary of the late Rajiv Gandhi’s path-breaking visit to China in December 1988. The CPC also invited Rahul Gandhi to inaugurate the conference likely to be held towards the year-end.

The CPC proposed to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Congress Party to form an “institutional mechanism of collaboration” between the two. The Chinese delegation, led by Li Jinjun, Vice Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, proposed that Rahul should come to China to inaugurate the conference. These proposals were accepted by the Congress delegation led by senior party leader Devendra Dwivedi.

Although no dates have been finalized, Congress sources said that Rahul could time his visit to China in such a way that he inaugurates the conference and also signs the MoU.

The growing warmth between the two parties was evident during Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s visit to China last October. China had rolled out a red carpet welcome with President Hu Jintao hosting a banquet in her honour. She had extensive discussions with the Chinese leadership, including Hu and Premier Wen Jiabao. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited China in January this year. Earlier, Wang Jiarui, head of the International Department of the CPC, led a delegation to meet Congress leaders in New Delhi last year.

“There is growing realization in China that the Congress Party is playing a crucial role in the dynamics of Indian democracy. There is, therefore, a desire on the part of the CPC as also on our part to deepen our relationship,” said Dwivedi. At today’s meeting, both sides refrained from raising contentious issues like Tibet, boundary dispute or the Indo-US nuclear deal.

According to Ravni Thakur, Joint Secretary in the Foreign Affairs Department of the AICC, the Chinese delegation also talked about Myanmar and in this context said that there were areas in which India and China could work together. “We don’t believe in isolating Myanmar,” Li Jinjun reportedly told the Congress delegation.

Li is in India to participate in the respective party Congress of the CPI and the CPM. He came to New Delhi after attending the CPI party Congress in Hyderabad and is scheduled to attend the CPM party Congress later this month.

Thakur said that the theme of the seminar was yet to be decided, although broadly it could focus on the road to economic reforms and the problems of displacement that occurred on this road. Apart from Dwivedi and Thakur, the AICC delegation included Veerappa Moily, former foreign secretary M K Rasgotra who is a member of the AICC foreign affairs cell, and Manish Tiwari.