Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c14.54

v2.c14.54

On August 22, 1939, Nehru arrived in Kunming, and he came to Chongqing on August 23 and was solemnly received as a state guest by China’s nationalist government and people from all walks of life there. Chiang Kai-shek and his wife held a banquet in his honour. While in Chongqing, he met senior KMT officials and senior CPC cadres. On August 27, CPC leader Mao Zedong sent a telegraph to invite him to visit Yan’an and to thank him for despatching the Indian Medical Mission to China. However, since the European War erupted and Nehru was urged to return to India earlier, he had to decline the invitation. During his visit, Nehru wrote a memorandum on strengthening India-China contact, giving seven recommendations to develop mutual relationships. Based on these and the opinion of Chiang Kai-shek, KMT central committee drafted *An Outline of Measures for Sino-Indian Cooperation* that suggested mutual exchange of professors, students, publications, news; send groups for research and investigation, visit and travel. Following specific measures were put forward: China will organise Buddhist delegation to visit India; specialists will be dispatched to India to investigate industry and agriculture; a mission will be organised to India for scientific investigation; and representatives will be despatched to India to attend annual meeting of the Congress Party. Later, these measures were implemented.