BEIJING - Vice President Li Yuanchao on Wednesday met with a delegation of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) headed by its General Secretary Prakash Karat.

Li, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said during the meeting that China and India are close neighbors and their relationship has made new progress since the beginning of this year.

He said the two sides need to work hard to push their strategic cooperative partnership for peace and prosperity to a higher level.

Noting that left wing parties like the Communist Party of India (Marxist) play an important role in safeguarding China-India friendship, Li said he hopes the party can strengthen contact with the CPC to promote stable and healthy development of the two countries' relationship.

Karat stressed the significance of developing the relationship and said his party will make unremitting efforts in this regard.