CALCUTTA, India, April 11 (UPI) -- During his four-day visit to India, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao offered a prediction about the future of the two nations' information technology sectors.
"If India and China cooperate in the IT (information technology) industry, we will be able to lead the world IT industry and when the particular day comes, it will signify the coming of the Asian century," Wen said.
"If we believe that the development of the IT industry symbolizes the future of science and technology and the economy, then the cooperation between our countries to develop (the sector) will symbolize the prosperity of our two nations in the future. That day will come," he added.
Wen, who arrived Saturday with a group of high-profile business executives representing more than 140 Chinese companies, called for greater ties, not only in IT, but also in other high-technology areas such as microchip design, nanotechnology, genomics, biosciences, astrophysics and optic astronomy.
Top executives from several large Chinese companies, including ZTE, Sino Steel, Huawei and Dalian Shide, joined the delegation to explore new business opportunities with Indian companies.
Wen said India currently has the advantage in computer software and acknowledged its "important position in the world."
China, which is trying to make its mark in software and IT-enabled services -- and is boosting English-language skills in schools to help mount a challenge to workers in Bangalore's software campuses -- so far has achieved only limited success compared to India. For instance, China's exports of software and back-office services amount to less than one-fifth of India's $17.3 billion annual export revenues.
Wen added, however, China also had "made rapid progress in other areas of the IT industry."
A decade ago, for example, China produced only 5 million cell phones a year, but today the annual output has grown to more than 100 million units. The country now has 500 million phones, of which half are mobile. Likewise, Internet usage has grown to the point where some 100 million Chinese have online access.
Wen's keenness to partner with India in technology was evidenced by the premier starting his India tour in Bangalore, considered not only the Silicon Valley of India, but also the country's science and technology hub. Wen visited the country's largest IT company, Tata Consultancy Services, as well as the Indian operations of China's largest telecom equipment maker, Huawei Technologies, which plans to invest $100 million in India.
Also in Bangalore, Wen met behind closed doors with officials of the Indian Space Research Organization and the Indian Institute of Science.
Later, IISc director Goverdhan Mehta said India and China have decided to form a steering committee to promote joint ventures in science and technology. The committee also will arrange international collaborations in technology and work to improve relations between the two countries in science and technology matters -- emphasizing areas such as nanotechnology, genomics and biosciences.
"Bangalore-based Raman Research Institute and Indian Institute of Astrophysics also evinced interest to work with the Chinese in areas such as optic astronomy and (educational) edu-astronomy," Mehta said and added the Chinese are interested in faculty and student exchange programs with Indian educational institutions.
During a visit to the ISRO, Wen expressed keen interest in the Indian space program.
G. Madhavan Nair, the organization's chairman, said, "Wen's visit provided impetus to explore areas of cooperation in space applications between the two countries."
India already has an understanding with the Chinese National Space Agency for cooperation in the use of space for peaceful uses. Last year, the launch of the Indian remote-sensing satellite, Resourcesat 1, marked the beginning of a deal with Antrix Corp., ISRO's marketing arm, to provide downlink access to China.
In the past, the two countries have exchanged visits by space scientists and government officials to share experiences and identify areas of cooperation in space technology.
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