Get real, be pragmatic: Hu tells Left

New Delhi: The Left parties on Wednesday got a piece of advice on realpolitik, and the adviser was Chinese President Hu Jintao.

Adopt a "more pragmatic" approach in this era of globalisation that provides immense scope for economic prosperity, Hu told a delegation of Left leaders.

A day after New Delhi and Beijing decided to boost their ties, Hu said both countries should enhance "mutual trust" to surge ahead in a globalised world.

Globalisation provides scope for economic prosperity, and a "more pragmatic and positive approach" must be adopted by the Left to develop infrastructure and the economy, he said.

Hu asked the Left leaders to play a more active role in states where they are in power and invited them to China to gain a first-hand experience of progress made by the Communist nation.

The Left parties have often drawn flak from the Congress and other parties for their opposition to privatisation and liberalisation. Some government leaders have even called the Left parties’ actions as roadblocks to development.

Observing that Sino-India ties are strengthening, Hu also favoured an increase in "political interaction" between the neighbours in tandem with cooperation in other fields to boost all-round relations.

The ties between the two sides at the diplomatic level and in commerce and industry are improving. There should be more exchanges between the Chinese Communist Party (CPC) and India's Left parties to boost bilateral ties, he said.

The Left leaders, on their part, urged the Chinese President to set up study groups in agriculture to understand the rapid progress made by China in the field.

The leaders who met Hu are CPI-M General Secretary Prakash Karat, Politburo member Sitaram Yechury, CPI's A B Bardhan and S Sudhakar Reddy and Forward Bloc's Debabrata Biswas and G Devarajan.

The Left parties had on Wednesday welcomed the outcome of talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Hu, saying the bilateral ties were moving in a "positive" direction.

The parties, which provide key outside support to the Singh's government, said the decision by New Delhi and Beijing to embark on a new course for an "irreversible friendship" was a "good development" that augurs well for the future.