Paying glowing tributes to late prime minister P V Narasimha Rao, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Friday praised his contributions for the improvement and development of Sino-Indian relations and described him as a 'friend of the Chinese people'.

"Rao was a distinguished statesman and an outstanding leader of India and an old friend of the Chinese people," Wen said in a telegram to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Wen also extended his sincere solicitude to the relatives of the late prime minister, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told PTI.

• Rao, an unlikely hero | Your Take on Rao

"In particular, in the year 1993, in his capacity as prime minister, Rao signed with the Chinese side the Agreement on the Maintenance of Peace and Tranquillity along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and other important documents, making great contributions for the improvement and development of China-India relations, which will never be forgotten by the Chinese people," Wen said.

The Agreement on the Maintenance of Peace and Tranquillity along the Line of Actual Control was a major confidence building measure between India and China, which has ensured that the disputed Sino-Indian boundary remained generally incident-free.

• More News Reports

Incidentally, Wen is scheduled to visit India in 2005.