India's relationship with its neighbours, India and China relations

                 INDIA AND CHINA

                          

On April,1950, India became the first non-socialist block country to establish diplomatic relations with the people's Republic of china. Prime minister Nehru visited China in october 1954. Though the border conflict in 1962 was a setback to ties, Prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's Landmark visit in 1988 marked the begining of improvement in bilateral relations. In 1993, the signing of an Agreement on the Maintenance of peace and Tranquility along the line of actual control on the india - china border areas during prime minister Narasimha rao's visit reflected the growing stability in bilateral ties.

Visit of Heads of State/Heads of Government

The Cumulative Outcomes Of outcomes of the exchange of high-level visits visits have added value and substance to our ties. During prime minister atal Bihari Vajpayee's visit in 2003, India and China signed the declaration on principles for relations and comprehensive corporation and also mutually decided to appoint special representatives (SRs) to explore the framework of a boundary settlement.

During the April 2005 visit of premier wen jiabao, the two sides established a strategic and cooperative partnership for peace and prosperity.

India-China bilateral relations have expanded and become diversified in the past decade. During the visit of president Xi jinping to India in September 2014, the two sides forged a closer development and partnership that forms the core of our bilateral relationship. In addition, a total of 16 agreements were signed in various sectors including, commerce and trade, railways spacecooporation, pharmaceuticals, establishment of industrial parks, and sister-city arrangements. The two sides also signed a MoU to open the Nathu la route for Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.

Prime minister Narendra Modi visited China in May 2015, during the visit, prime minister Modi and premier Li Keqiang also addressed the opening session of the first state/Provincial Leaders' forum in Beijing.

There were 24 agreements signed on the government-to-government side, 26 MoUs on the business-to-bussiness side and to joint statements, including one on climate change. prime minister also announced the extension of the e-visa facility for Chinese tourists to India.

President Pranab Mukherjee made a state visit to China in May 2016. He visited Guangdong and Beijing where he met with the Chinese leadership, and during the visit ten MoUs in the field of education and research were included.

2018 witnessed an upward swing in the momentum of ties. In April 2018 prime minister Modi and President Xi held the first informal summit in wuhan exchange views on Overarching issues of bilateral and global importance and elaborated upon their respective visions and priorities for national development. The two leaders agreed to significantly enhance efforts to build on the Convergences through the established mechanism in order to create the broadest possible platform for the relationship. The dialogue helped in forging a common understanding of the future direction of India-China relations built upon mutual respect for each other's developmental aspirations and prudent management of differences with mutual sensitivity.

The two leaders have also visited each other's countries to attend various multilateral submits. Prime minister Modi visited China in September 2016 to participate in the G20 summit in Hangzhou, in September 2017 to party simbate in the BRICS summit in Xiamen. Last year, PM Modi attended the SCO submit in Qingdao in June 2018. At a bilateral meeting with President Xi on the sidelines of this summit, two agreements, relating to provision of hydrological information of the Brahmaputra river, and on phytosanitary requirements for rice exports, were signed. President Xi visited India in October 2016 to participate in the BRICS submit in Goa.

Recently on 13 June 2019, the two leaders met for the first time since the re-election of prime minister Modi on the sidelines of the SEO summit in bishkek.

The prime minister of India Sri Narendra Modi and the president of the people's republic of China Mr Xi Jinping held there second informal submit in Chennai, India, on 11-12 October 2019. the two leaders had an in-depth exchange of views in a friendly atmosphere on overarching, long-term and strategic issues of global and regional importance.

They also share their respective approaches towards national development. They evaluated the direction of bilateral relations in a positive light and discussed how India-China bilateral interaction can be deepened to reflect the growing role of both countries on the global stage.

'Chennai Connect'

Prime minister Narendra Modi termed that 2nd informal submit at Mamallapuram, Chennai, Tamil Nadu has begun a "New Era of Cooperation" between India and China.

prime minister was making his inaugural statement at beginning of the delegation  level talks chaired by prime minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, on the second day of the informal submit at mamallapuram, on 12-October, 2019.

referring to the first informal summit between the two countries at wahan last year, prime minister Modi said it has brought in an "increased stability and fresh momentum in our relations".

He said the "strategic communication has increased between the two countries".

The prime minister further said , "we have decided that we would prudently manage our differences without lating them turn into disputes, that we would be sensitive to each other's' concerns and that our relations strive towards world peace and stability".

Referring to the 2nd informal submit at mamallapuram, the prime minister said "in the Chennai submit we have so far had great exchange on bilateral and global issues. The vahan submit has given a new momentum to our bilateral relations. today with our Chennai connect a new era of corporation has begin in the relations of our two countries".

Further topics on which the two countries have improved their relations.

1. Commercial and economic relations.

the trade and economic relationship between India and China has seen a rapid growth in the last 5 years. Trade volume between the two countries in the beginning of the century, year 2000, stood at US$ 3 billion. In 2008, bilateral trade reached US$ 51.8 billion with China replacing the United States as India's largest trading partner in goods. In 2018, bilateral trade reached an all-time high of US$ 95.54 billion.

2. Banking and investment.

Over the years, presence of Indian banks in China has shrunk to two. remaining banks have either closed their operations in China or are in the process of closing down. Chinese banks, industrial and commercial bank of China (ICBC) and Bank of China (BOC) have their branch offices in Mumbai.

3. Dialogue mechanisms.

The India-China economic and commercial relations are shaped through various dialogue mechanism such as joint economic group ( JEG) led by the commerce ministers of both sides, strategic economic dialogue (SED) led by the vice chairman of NITY Aayog and the chairman of national development and reform commission (NDRC) of China, The NITY Aayog-Development research centre (DRC) dialogue and the financial dialogue led by secretary, department of economic affairs of India and vice minister, ministry of finance of PRC. The 11th JEG was held in March 2018, and The fourth NITy Aayog- DRC dialogue was held in Mumbai on 1 November 2018. Recently, the sixth India-China SED was held in New Delhi from 7 to 9 September 2019. The 9th India-China Financial Dialogue took place on 25 September 2019.

4. Cultural relations.

India-China Cultural exchanges date back to many centuries and their is some evidence that conceptual and linguistic exchanges existed in 1500-1000 B.C. between the Shang-Zhou civilization. And the ancient Vedic civilization. During first, second and third centuries A.D. several Buddhist pilgrims and scholars travelled to China on the historic "silk route". Kashyapa Matanga and Dharmaratna made the white horse monastery at Luoyang their abode. Ancient Indian monk-scholars such as Kumarajiva, Bodhidharma and Dharmakshema contributed to the spread of Buddhism in China. similarly, Chinese pilgrims also under took journeys to India, the most famous among them being Fa Xian and Xian Zang.

5. Education relations.

India and China signed education exchange programme (EEP) in 2006, which is an umbrella agreement for educational corporation between the two countries. under this agreement Government scholarships are awarded to 25 students, bhai both sides, in recognised institutions of higher learning in each other's country. the 25 scholarships awarded by India are offered by Indian council for cultural relations (ICCR). during the visit of prime minister Modi to China, both the countries have signed a fresh education exchange program (EEP) on May 15, 2015, under which Chinese government provides 100 scholarships annually for Indian students to study in China. the same agreement provides for enhanced corporation between institutions in the field of vocational education; collaboration between institute of higher learning, etc.