BEIJING, Oct 26: India’s ruling Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi met China’s top leaders on Friday on a visit widely seen as a sign of improving relations between the world’s two most populous nations.

Accompanied by her son Rahul, Sonia Gandhi with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao at the Zhongnanhai leadership compound and later met with President Hu Jintao at the Great Hall of the People.

The gesture indicated the level of importance China attaches to Gandhi’s visit as its top leaders normally only officially meet with other heads of state.

Sonia described her trip as “a milestone in strengthening the relations between the two countries,” when she met with Chinese Communist Party official Wang Jiarui earlier on Friday, the Press Trust of India news agency said. “I am amazed and astounded at the progress made by the people of China and its leadership,” she said.

Gandhi’s visit comes amid turmoil within her party over a nuclear accord with the US that has upset the government’s left party coalition partners who disapprove of New Delhi’s warming relations with Washington.—AFP