New Delhi,(IANS) Strong economic growth in India and China can act as an engine of growth for the global economy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday.

Modi said this while interacting with Han Zheng, party secretary of Shanghai and politburo member of the Communist Party of China, who called on the prime minister on Thursday.

The two leaders discussed the current global economic scenario, with Modi noting that strong economic growth in India and China can act as an engine of growth for the global economy.

The prime minister recalled his meeting with Zheng in Shanghai, during his visit to China last year, and said that the Mumbai-Shanghai Sister City Agreement laid the foundation for strong relations between the financial capitals of India and China.

Zheng said Modi’s visit to Shanghai last year, and the resultant increased awareness about India, led to an increase in the number of people from Shanghai visiting India.

The prime minister said the establishment of the India-China Provincial Leaders’ Forum was also a welcome step towards broadening and strengthening the bilateral relations between India and China.