BEIJING, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Tian Congming, president of Xinhua News Agency met here Tuesday with a media delegation of India, and the two sides stressed enhanced exchanges and cooperation in the future.

"As China and India witnessed healthy development of friendly relations of cooperation in recent years, media circles of the two countries also enhanced exchanges and communication," said Tian, during meeting with a delegation of Indian women journalists.

"It is of great importance for Chinese and Indian media circles to enhance exchanges and cooperation to help the people of each country better understand the development of the other," Tian said.

Xinhua plans to set up another branch in the Indian city of Bombay, following the first one in New Delhi, in a bid to introduce more about India to the Chinese people, Tian said.

Tian also briefed the guests on China's preparations for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

"As the host news agency, Xinhua will carry out its responsibilities in accordance with the rules set by the International Olympic Committee and provide services and help to foreign media to the best of Xinhua's ability," Tian said.

Sushma Ramachandran, chairwoman of the India Woman Journalist Association who headed the delegation, expressed appreciation of Tian's remarks which she said benefit her a lot.

She said the visit would surely help the Indian media circles have a deep understanding of a real rising China.

"I hope we could enhance cooperation in the future with Chinese media circles including Xinhua," Ramachandran told Tian, adding she believed Xinhua would make a success in covering next year's Olympic Games.

The delegation, which is composed of senior women journalists and editors from 16 Indian mainstream media groups such as the Indian Express and the Week, is here on a visit from Sept. 7 to 20at the invitation of the All-China Journalists' Association.