The Beginning of A New Chapter in India-China RelationsXi
Friends,
Very recently I got an opportunity to welcome President Xi Jinping to India. It was a great opportunity to host him within months of the formation of my Government in Delhi. His visit to India and the subsequent discussions have begun a new chapter where enormous possibilities have emerged to explore the potential in our relations.
We are two ancient civilizations with a long history of engagement. India’s neighbourhood occupies a special place in my national development plans and foreign policy. Today, we are the world`s two most populous countries & are both undergoing economic transformation on an unprecedented scale and speed.
Over the two days in Ahmedabad and Delhi, we had opportunities to discuss the full range of issues in our relationship, including political and security issues, economic relations and people-to-people contacts. We have decided to deepen our engagement at all levels and hold regular summit level meetings.
It gives me immense pleasure to share that there have been agreements on two Chinese industrial parks in India and a commitment to realise Chinese investments in various industrial & infrastructure development projects in India. Several MoUs were signed deepening the cooperation between India & China in various areas ranging from railways, economy and trade to people to people exchanges, education, environmental protection, health, science and technology. You can view the complete details of all MoUs signed
I welcome our five year economic and trade development plan as an important new step to pursue higher ambitions in our economic relations.
We have also agreed on specific steps to enhance cooperation in upgrading India’s railways sector. On behalf of the people of India, I thank President Xi for opening a new route through Nathu-La to Kailash Mansarovar, in addition to the existing route through Uttarakhand.
We also agreed to build closer cooperation on the shared challenges of terrorism and extremism as we both understand that India and China have a shared interest in a peaceful and stable region, including peace, stability and prosperity of Afghanistan.
Located at the crossroads of Asia, India believes that reconnecting Asia is important for its collective prosperity. We discussed regional connectivity and the proposal for the Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar Economic Corridor.
Our discussions have made it clear that people-to-people contacts, culture, tourism and art are central to our efforts to strengthen our partnership. In conclusion, I would like to say that this was a historic opportunity for the relationship between India and China, filled with vast possibilities.
I am sharing more about Chinese President’s visit to India in a newsletter.
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