When asked to comment on China-India relations, the premier said the friendship between the two countries stretched for more than 2,000 years whereas conflicts between them lasted for only two years.

　　He recalled Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's visit to China last year, saying that it indicated the relationship between the two countries had begun developing their relations in a healthy and cooperative way since then.

　　Special envoys from the two countries have already held two rounds of talks on border issues between China and India, Wen said.

　　As long as the two countries stick to peaceful coexistence, respect for each other and mutual understanding, China and India could tackle the problems left over from history and maintain lasting friendship and cooperation, Wen said.

　　Premier vows further crackdown upon corruption

　　Premier Wen said that the Chinese government will take it as one of its most essential tasks to further step up the fight against corruption in his tenure of office, as it is a "life-or-death" issue for the destiny of the Communist Party of China and the Chinese government.

　　"My colleagues and I are willing to be subjected under the supervision by people," Wen made the pledge in response to a question concerning the conviction of a batch of provincial-level officials over corruption charges last year.

　　The government will take three steps to further carry out the anti-corruption drive, Wen said, acknowledging that China will install educational and supervisional rules and regulations to prevent and fight corruption, resolutely punish corrupt officials, halt unethical practices in the public administration, and do well the work closely relating to the interests of the people.

　　Wen also reminded the people of late Chairman Mao Zedong's admonitions six decades ago to the whole Party not to follow suit of some peasant uprising leaders in the Chinese history who turned corrupted once they were in power.

　　"In the past 60 years, many comrades of our Party have stood the test, and there have also been some who didn't and became victimized by 'sugar-coated bullets,'" Premier Wen said.

　　Premier cites unity, stability as priority

　　Premier Wen said that unity and stability are his overriding concerns.

　　Wen said in response to a question about the incident in 1989 that an important reason for China's tremendous development in the past 15 years was the fact that the Communist Party of China （CPC） maintained China's unity and social and political stability.

　　"A severe political storm occurred in China at the late 1980s and early 1990s," he said. "At a crucial juncture bearing on the country's destiny, the CPC Central Committee, by relying on the whole Party and the people of all ethnicities across the country, continued to uphold the policies laid down following the Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee held in late 1978 and successfully steered the general situation of China's reform and opening to the outside world, and safeguarded the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics."

　　The next two decades will be a very crucial, strategic period for China's development, and unity and stability are overriding issues, the Chinese premier said.