'Population: China, India must cooperate'

China and India, the world's two most populous nations, have initiated discussions on stabilising the global population, Beijing's top official on family planning said in Beijing on Tuesday.

"You (India) have a very young Minister of Health and Family Welfare (Anbumani Ramadoss). Actually, we have discussed cooperation in this field (India-China cooperation in the stabilisation of the global population)," Minister of the National Population and Family Planning Commission Zhang Weiqing said to a query at a press conference in Beijing.

Ramadoss had talks with Zhang in Beijing in November 2005

during a visit to China.

China and India should cooperate with each other for the stability of the world and also should implement family planning policies in both countries, Zhang said while briefing the media about China's new family planning and population control policies.

He noted that China and India enjoy a long history of friendship. Currently, the two countries are experiencing very fast growth, he said, adding "both of our countries could play important roles in stabilising world population and also contribute to the development of civilisation of the international community."