President Hu Jintao sent a congratulatory message on Wednesday to Pratibha Patil on her swearing-in as the Indian President.

"On the occasion of your swearing-in as the Indian President, I wish to extend my warm congratulations and best wishes," Hu said in the message.

China and India, as two big developing countries, are important neighboring nations. Both sides should expand the bilateral exchanges and cooperation, so as to benefit the people of the two countries as well as promoting peace and development in Asia and the world at large, the message said.

"I am willing to work hard together with you on enhancing the Sino-Indian strategic cooperative partnership, and to open this new chapter of friendship of good-neighborliness and all-round cooperation between two countries in the new century," Hu added.

Pratibha Patil, former Governor of Rajasthan, was sworn-in on Wednesday as the first female President of India since its independence from British rule in 1947.

(Xinhua News Agency July 26, 2007)