New Delhi (PTI): In the midst of strains with the UPA on the Indo-US nuclear deal, the CPI(M) has come out with a rare praise of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, describing his visit to China as "highly successful".

In an editorial in the party weekly 'People's Democracy', Politburo member Sitaram Yechury hailed the visit for its positive contribution towards improving relations between two Asian giants.

"By all accounts Prime Minister's visit to the People's Republic of China was highly successful and has positively contributed towards carrying forward the improvement of relations between the two Asian giants," he said.

He said the most important aspect was the enlargement of the canvas on which improvement in relations was being sought and concerns shared.

"This recognition in itself will go a long way in the movement towards global multi-polarity," Yechury added.

Observing that bilateral trade had grown rapidly with the 2010 projections of 40 billion US dollars being achieved last year itself, he said "there is now bound to be a serious rethink in India on the question of visa restrictions and the black-listing of certain Chinese companies even after they have qualified global tenders, as it happened in the offshore seaport in Kerala."

He said while those seeking improvement in India-China relations would be disappointed over the border dispute, "what is important to understand is that while continuing the dialogue on it, both countries appear to have converged on the understanding that cooperation in other fields must proceed and be strengthened."

Despite major geopolitical irritants between them, he said Taiwan continued to be an important economic partner of China.

In this context, he pointed out that China and Russia took seven long decades to resolve their border dispute.