Yesterday (April 1) was the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and India (1950). Over the past 75 years, China-India relations, despite weathering ups and downs, have always surged forward like the Yangtze and the Ganges. One learns from the past in order to understand the future, and follows the right path to go far. Looking back at the extraordinary journey of China-India relations, there are four inspirational factors embedded therein that are particularly worth drawing upon.
Leaders and their guidance
First, the strategic guidance of our leaders serves as the ‘anchor’ for China-India relations. Over the past 75 years, the leaders of the two countries have consistently steered the relationship at critical historical junctures. In 1950, Chairman Mao Zedong and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru made the historic decision of establishing diplomatic ties, and India became the first non-socialist country to have diplomatic relations with China. In 1988, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi visited China, and the two sides agreed to “look forward”, initiating the normalisation process of bilateral relations. Since 2013, President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi carried out “hometown diplomacy” and two informal meetings, which have propelled the bilateral relations into a period of rapid development. Last October, the leaders of our two countries met in Kazan, and opened a new chapter for China-India relations.
Second, friendly exchanges and cooperation form the ‘foundational fabric’ of China-India relations. Looking back through history, our two civilisations have flourished like twin lotuses, interconnected and mutually illuminating. The westward journey of Master Xuanzang seeking Buddhist scriptures and the eastward voyage of Bodhidharma spreading Zen teachings have become widely-circulated stories of exchanges between China and India. Our two peoples have empathised with and supported each other in our respective struggles for national independence and liberation. Rabindranath Tagore and Dr. Kotnis have become timeless emblems of the China-India friendship. Since the turn of the century, China and India have forged a strategic and cooperative partnership for peace and prosperity. During President Xi Jinping’s state visit to India in 2014, the two sides decided to build a closer developmental partnership. Under these important frameworks, the two countries have established nearly 50 dialogue mechanisms at all levels and in various fields. The bilateral trade volume has jumped from less than $3 billion in 2000 to $138.5 billion in 2024. Cooperation in culture, education, tourism and other fields has expanded continuously. Yoga and Bollywood movies have gained popularity in China. China-India exchanges and cooperation are becoming deeper and deeper, and the people of the two countries are getting closer and closer.
Third, bridging differences through dialogue stands as the ‘one and only key’ of China-India relations. As close neighbours, our peoples may sometimes have differences. As Prime Minister Modi said, when two neighbouring countries exist, occasional disagreements are bound to happen. Even within a family, not everything is always perfect. But our focus is to ensure that these differences do not turn into disputes. As two ancient civilisations, China and India both have the tradition and characteristics of cherishing peace and goodwill, as well as the wisdom and capacity to resolve differences through dialogue. Faced with the boundary question left over from history, the two sides have established communication channels such as the Special Representative Mechanism on the China-India Boundary Question and the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on China-India Border Affairs, and strive to seek a proper solution. At the end of last year, the two sides pushed the border situation back to tranquillity through intensive dialogue, marking the latest testament to China and India’s commitment to resolving differences through consultation.
Fourth, working for the future of the world is the “important mission” of China-India relations. President Xi Jinping once said, if China and India speak with one voice, the whole world will listen; and if we join hands, the whole world will pay attention. Historically, the two great civilisations of China and India have enriched each other, and the total economic volume of the two countries has long accounted for half of global GDP, making momentous contributions to human progress. After the establishment of diplomatic relations, China and India jointly advocated the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, attended the Bandung Conference together, and promoted the independence and unity of Asian and African countries and the peaceful development of the world. At present, as vital members of multilateral mechanisms such as BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and the G-20, China and India should take the common responsibilities of safeguarding the rights and the interests of developing countries, maintaining international fairness and justice, and upholding multilateralism.
At present, transformation not seen in a century is accelerating across the world, geopolitical conflicts keep escalating, and the mankind is facing unprecedented challenges. As the only two major developing countries and representatives of emerging economies with a population of over one billion, China-India relations have become one of the most crucial bilateral relations in the world. The sound and stable development of bilateral relations serves the fundamental interests of the two people, meets the common aspirations of regional countries, follows the historical trend of the Global South growing stronger, and is conducive to world peace, stability, development and prosperity.
On the ground
Recently, China and India have earnestly implemented the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries. The two Foreign Ministers have met for several times on multilateral occasions. The 23rd Special Representatives’ meeting on China-India Boundary Question and the Vice Minister-Foreign Secretary Dialogue have been held successively, and reached many points of consensus on China-India relations, border issues, and practical cooperation. The two sides maintain communication on issues of mutual concern, such as the resumption of direct flights, visa facilitation, pilgrimage to Mount Gang Renpoche and Lake Mapam Yun Tso (Kailash Manasarovar Yatra) in Xizang, and also resident journalists, striving to achieve results as soon as possible. Bilateral economic and trade cooperation has maintained good momentum. In the first two months of this year, the bilateral trade volume reached $23.6 billion. People-to-people exchanges are increasing. In the first quarter of this year, the Chinese Embassy and Consulate-Generals in India have issued over 70,000 visas to Indian citizens, with a year-on-year increase of approximately 15%. These figures fully demonstrate the strong motivation for exchanges and cooperation between the two countries.
Steps for Beijing and New Delhi to take
It is the common will of the two peoples and the unstoppable tide of history to advance China-India friendship and cooperation. China and India will gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation. A pas de deux of the dragon and the elephant is the only right choice for both sides. We should adhere to the important consensus reached by the two leaders, and forge a right path for the two neighbouring major countries to coexist in harmony and develop hand in hand..
First, we should build a healthy and stable China-India relationship. Both sides should adhere to the strategic judgment made by the two leaders that “China and India are partners rather than rivals, and development opportunities rather than threats to each other”. We should uphold the principles of mutual respect, mutual understanding, mutual trust, mutual accommodation and mutual accomplishment. We should properly handle differences through dialogue, and never allow bilateral relations to be defined by the boundary question, or let specific differences affect the overall picture of bilateral ties, so as to ensure that China-India relations always move forward along the track of sound development.
Second, we should develop a mutually beneficial China-India relationship. Both China and India are at a critical stage of national development and revitalisation. It is our common goal to develop the economy and improve people’s livelihoods. China is actively promoting high-quality development and pursuing higher-standard opening up. India is committed to realising the vision of “Viksit Bharat 2047”. We should strengthen the alignment of our development strategies, resume and promote exchanges and cooperation in various fields, and push forward the modernisation of the two countries.
Third, we should forge an internationally cooperative China-India relationship. As important members of the Global South, China and India have the responsibility to jointly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries, promote an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalisation, and inject stability into a world fraught with uncertainties. As the rotating president of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation this year, China is willing to work with all parties including India to jointly hold a SCO summit featuring friendship, solidarity and fruitful outcomes, and lead the SCO into a new stage of high-quality development featuring stronger solidarity, coordination, dynamism and productiveness.
Mahatma Gandhi once said, ‘I long for the day when a free India and free China will co-operate together in friendship and brotherhood for their own good and for the good of Asia and the world’. Thousands of years of civilisation have endowed us with the foresight to learn from the past and chart the course for the future. The similar goals of achieving national rejuvenation and modernisation lead us to focus on development, and the aspirations of 2.8 billion people for a better life call for us to strengthen cooperation. I believe that under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries and with the joint efforts of people from all walks of life, China and India will move forward steadily along the path of jointly achieving national development and rejuvenation and promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
Xu Feihong is the Chinese Ambassador to India
Published – April 02, 2025 12:08 am IST