Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c14.s2: B. Events

Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c14.s2

Language: English

v2.c14.s2.t1 Visit of Chiang Kai-Shek and His Wife to India — 10 parts
v2.c14.s2.t2 Chinese Army in India 1942-1945 — 6 parts
v2.c14.s2.t3 Establishment of India-China Diplomatic Relations — 6 parts
v2.c14.s2.t4 Visit of Indian Leaders to China Since the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations — 12 parts
v2.c14.s2.t5 Visit of Chinese Leaders to India Since the Establishment of India-China Diplomatic Relations — 27 parts

B. Events

Visit of Chiang Kai-Shek and His Wife to India

v2.c14.s2.t1.1

From February 4-21, 1942, Chiang Kai-shek, Chairman of the Supreme National Defense Council of the Republic of China and Commander-in-Chief of the allied forces in China war zone, paid a state goodwill visit to India. His wife Soong Mei-Ling and Foreign Minister Wang Chonghui as well as Vice-Minister of the Propaganda Department Dong Xianguang accompanied him during the visit. The

v2.c14.s2.t1.2

*Chiang Kai-shek meets Jawaharlal Nehru in India, 1942*

v2.c14.s2.t1.3

delegation departed from Chongqing by a special plane on February 4 and arrived in Calcutta, India on February 5 via Kunming and Myanmar.

v2.c14.s2.t1.4

Chiang Kai-shek had talks with officials of the British colonial government on the progress of the Pacific War, India-China relations and Indian political situation in Calcutta and New Delhi, respectively. On February 7, he met Sir John Arthur Herbert, Governor of Bengal, in Calcutta. In the morning of February 10, he and his accompanying officials held talks with Lord Linlithgow, Governor General of India in New Delhi. On February 12, Indian and Chinese representatives continued to talk about constructing the Ledo Road. A series of results of the talks include: 1) both sides reached consensus on the specific plan on building the Ledo Road; 2) both sides planned to cooperate in transporting aid-China military materials via Lhasa; 3) both sides negotiated the construction of a large airport in India and the opening of transport air routes; 4) both sides agreed to send their diplomatic representatives to reside permanently in New Delhi and Chongqing; 5) both sides also agreed to set up Chinese affairs liaison office “Chinese Affairs Liaison Bureau” in Calcutta.

v2.c14.s2.t1.5

Chiang Kai-shek also held talks with prominent leaders of the Indian National Independent Movement several times. In the afternoon of February 11, he spoke to Jawaharlal Nehru and Abul Kalam Muhiyuddin Ahmed Azad. In the afternoon of February 15, he met Nehru again. In the evening of February 17, he had a talk with Mohammed Ali Jinnah. On February 18 at noon, he met Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi in the house of his Indian friend Ghanshyam Das Birla. Indian national movement leaders got to know the situation of the Anti-Japanese War through these talks and expressed their sympathy for Chinese people’s resistance against Japanese invasion. However, Gandhi also made clear that he wouldn’t give up the non-violent non-cooperation movement although he wouldn’t hamper Sino-British cooperation in fighting against Japanese aggression and wished Chiang Kai-shek would put pressure on the British Government to make India independent.

v2.c14.s2.t1.6

On February 19-20, Chiang Kai-shek and Soong Mei-Ling visited Visva-Bharati and wrote the inscription 'The Ways of Harmonious Relationship with Neighbouring Countries' for the university, meaning there should be a way to contact with neighbours. They also donated Rs 50,000 to the university and Rs 30,000 to Cheena Bhavan. Nehru also went to the university at the invitation of Tan Yunshan and held talks with Chiang Kai-shek once again.

v2.c14.s2.t1.7

On February 21, Chiang Kai-shek made public the *Letter to Indian People* in Calcutta and emphasised that the British Government should return the authority to Indian people as soon as possible. In

v2.c14.s2.t1.8

*A picture of Mahatma Gandhi with Chiang Kai-shek and his wife during the couple's visit to India in 1942*

v2.c14.s2.t1.9

the evening, the delegation left Calcutta by plane to Kunming.

v2.c14.s2.t1.10

According to the agreement reached during his visit to India, Shen Shihua was appointed as the commissioner of China to India under the rule of Britain on March 3. On March 17, “Indian Day” was celebrated in China. In the same year, the Government of the Republic of China established the National Oriental Language School in Chenggong County, Yunnan Province and set up the Hindi subject, Indian history, among other correlated curriculum.

Chinese Army in India 1942-1945

v2.c14.s2.t2.1

During World War II, India served as the temporary base for an elite Chinese military force. This force was trained in India to form part of the strike force for the eventual expulsion of the Japanese army from Burma. The existence of this Chinese Army in India (CAI), stationed at Ramgarh in Bihar province (present-day Jharkhand), was so secret that it was not made public until after the war.

v2.c14.s2.t2.2

Troops from China had been sent to Burma from Yunnan to fight with the British army to hold off the Japanese forces. With their defeat at the hands of the Japanese in mid-1942, a large number of these Chinese troops were forced to retreat, fighting all the way into India. From July through September 1942, remnants of detachments of Chinese troops arrived in India one after the other. Some were from the 38ᵗʰ division of the 66ᵗʰ Army commanded by Lt. Gen. Sun Li-jen, while others from the 22ⁿᵈ Division of the 5ᵗʰ Corps were under Maj. Gen. Liao Yai-hsiang. The British Government of India made available a former prisoner of war camp at Ramgarh for them.

v2.c14.s2.t2.3

Most of the Chinese soldiers who arrived in India initially were in a wretched condition on account of the privations they had suffered during the Burma campaign, and the arduous retreat that followed. However, the aim was not just to rehabilitate these soldiers in India, but also to retrain and re-equip them so as to turn them once again into an effective fighting force through the combined efforts of the Chinese, British and Americans. The Chinese military authorities on the spot took care of administration and maintaining discipline among the forces, the Government of India provided food and money to pay the soldiers, and the Americans took over the work of training and providing equipment. The ranks of the original 9,000 troops that arrived from Burma were increased by new batches of officers and men specially flown in from China. A total of 5,368 officers and 48,124 Chinese soldiers passed through the Ramgarh training camp, forming what eventually came to be known as the New Chinese 1ˢᵗ Army and the New Chinese 6ᵗʰ Army under the command of Generals Sun Li-jen and Liao Yao-hsiang, respectively.

v2.c14.s2.t2.4

Even as new personnel from China continued to arrive in Ramgarh, divisions of the CAI began to move to Ledo to prepare for fighting in Burma as early as April 1943. The New 38ᵗʰ Division first took part in the campaign to repulse the Japanese troops from the India-Burma border. The combined forces of the New 38ᵗʰ Division and the New 22ⁿᵈ Division took part in the Hukawng Valley campaign, which ended in victory for the Allied forces in March 1944. The Chinese and American forces combined then expelled the Japanese from the strategically situated town of Myitkyina in August 1944. In the second phase of the campaign, Bhamo, Namhkam and Mongyu were retaken by January 1945, permitting the opening of the Ledo (Stilwell) Road, crucial for the transport of supplies and personnel between northeastern India and southwestern China. At Mongyu, troops of the CAI were reunited with Chinese troops from China. They went on to partake in the remaining part of the Burma campaign, following which they were airlifted back to China by the end of June 1945 to aid in the counter-offensive against the Japanese there.

v2.c14.s2.t2.5

The Chinese Army in India during World War II was a significant instance of military cooperation between India and China in the modern era

v2.c14.s2.t2.6

*(Madhavi Thampi)*

Establishment of India-China Diplomatic Relations

v2.c14.s2.t3.1

After the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, India was the first non-socialist country to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China on April 1, 1950. In September 1948, the Northeast Field Army of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army started the Liaoxi-Shenyang Campaign and it was promising to win soon. Therefrom, India began to adjust its policy towards China. India was also the first non-socialist country to establish an embassy in the People’s Republic of China. On October 5, 1948, the then Bureau Chief of the Hong Kong Branch of the Xinhua News Agency, Qiao Guanhua sent a request by telegram to the CPC Central Committee on the Indian Embassy Councillor Ismail's wish to visit the liberated areas. Guanghua mentioned that the Indian Embassy Councillor-Ismail had sent an emissary to enquire regarding Chinese reaction to the Indian side sending people to the liberated areas. Ismail hoped that a visit to the liberated areas will lay the foundation for establishing diplomatic relations between the liberated areas and India in future. In April 1949, the President of People's Liberation Army occupied the Nanjing Presidential Palace. The personnel under the nationalist government retreated southward to Guangzhou. The Indian Embassy in China did not follow but they prepared an inventory of embassy personnel and property and sent to the People's Government for record.

v2.c14.s2.t3.2

*China Expeditionary Force in India; General Sun Li-jen reviews the troops in Ramgarh*

v2.c14.s2.t3.3

*Indian Ambassador to China, K. M. Pannikar presents his credentials to Chairman Mao Zedong*

v2.c14.s2.t3.4

On December 30, 1949, the Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru received an official letter dated October 2, 1949 from Zhou Enlai, Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China and immediately acknowledged that the Government of India recognised the Government of the People's Republic of China and expressed the willingness to establish diplomatic relations with the Chinese Government. On January 4, 1950, Zhou Enlai replied in telegram to Nehru and expressed that the Chinese Government stood ready to establish diplomatic relations with the Indian Government on the principles of equality, mutual benefit and mutual respect for each other's territorial sovereignty and wished the Indian Government to send representatives to Beijing to discuss related issues. On January 6, 1950, Nehru sent a telegram to him and said the Indian Government had decided to appoint A K Sen as the Charge d'Affaires ad Interim for preliminary negotiations with the Chinese Government. On January 12, 1950, Zhou Enlai replied and agreed on the suggestion. On February 13, 1950, Sen arrived in Beijing and the two countries started the negotiations of the establishment of diplomatic relations. On February 22, March 1 and March 15, 1950, three rounds of talks were held and basically addressed the major issues related to the establishment of diplomatic relations. Following that, four rounds of talks were held on sending diplomatic envoys to each other's country on March, 20, 27 and 30 and April 1, 1950. The People's Republic of China assigned Yuan Zhongxian as the ambassador to India while the Indian Government appointed Kavalam Madhava Panikkar as the ambassador to China.

v2.c14.s2.t3.5

Later, both countries also signed the *Panchsheel Agreement* in 1954 in Beijing, in the presence of Jawaharlal Nehru, Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai and other Indian and Chinese leaders. According to the agreement, both sides agreed to follow the five basic principles of mutual respect for each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty, mutual non-aggression, mutual non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit and peaceful coexistence.

v2.c14.s2.t3.6

(Sabaree Mitra & Jiang Jingkui)

Visit of Indian Leaders to China Since the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations

v2.c14.s2.t4.1

On April 1, 1950, the Republic of India and the People's Republic of China established diplomatic relations formally. Since then, many Indian leaders have paid visits to China at the invitations of Chinese state leaders which have promoted the two countries' mutual understanding, boosted bilateral relations and enhanced India-China friendship.

v2.c14.s2.t4.2

From October 19-30, 1954, Jawaharlal Nehru in the capacity of Indian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, and his daughter Indira Gandhi paid a visit to China and held three talks with Mao Zedong on 'The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence' and on issues like 'whether making war a policy tool is beneficial'. There were differences between the two sides in the talks, but this friendly argument did not hamper the two countries to reach a consensus in facing common tasks. Both sides believed that they should work together to prevent wars and win a lasting peace. During this visit, Jawaharlal Nehru also had four talks with the Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai. These talks further consolidated the negotiations between the two governments held not long ago about the relations between Chinese Tibet and India and the results of Zhou Enlai's visit to India.

v2.c14.s2.t4.3

From December 19-23, 1988, the Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi paid a state visit to China and held talks with Li Peng and Deng Xiaoping, respectively. Both prime ministers also reached internal understanding of the guiding principles of solving India-China border disputes, which contributed a lot to the settlement of India-China border disputes and represented a new starting point for the improvement and development of India-China relations. Gandhi expressed the resolve of India to seek mutually beneficial settlement of the disputes and put forward the concept of “parallel working” that is to actively develop bilateral relations in other areas while seeking a way for the settlement acceptable for both countries. For that matter, both sides agreed to establish a joint working group for the settlement of border issues and other joint working groups for issues related to economy, trade, science and technology and signed the *Agreement on Scientific and Technological Cooperation*, *Air Service Agreements* and the *Plan on Implementing the Three Annual Cultural Cooperation Agreements*.

v2.c14.s2.t4.4

Indian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru on his arrival in Beijing on October 19, 1954

v2.c14.s2.t4.5

From May 18-23, 1992, Indian President Ramaswamy Venkataraman was invited to pay a state visit to China, which was the first-ever visit made by any Indian president since the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and China. President Venkataraman held talks with President Yang Shangkun and met with Jiang Zemin, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee and Chinese Premier Li Peng, respectively. Both state leaders had an extensive exchange of views on bilateral, regional and global issues. Both sides agreed to further recover and develop India-China traditional friendship and signed the *Agreement on Entry and Exit of Border for Trade*.

v2.c14.s2.t4.6

From September 6-9, 1993, Indian Prime Minister Pamulaparthi Venkata Narasimha Rao was invited to pay an official goodwill visit to China. Both sides had an in-depth exchange of views on bilateral, regional and international issues of common concern and signed four documents including the *Agreement on Maintaining Peace and Tranquility along the Line of Actual Control in the China-India Border Areas*. According to the agreement, the two countries agreed to address border issues through peaceful and friendly negotiations. Both sides agreed not to go for arbitrary use and threat of force. Both sides agreed to strictly respect and abide by the control line in between before the final settlement of border issues. Both sides agreed to maintain their respective military forces in the line of actual control at the minimum level appropriate for good neighbourly and friendly relations between the two countries. The term 'line of actual control' appeared for the first time in the official document signed between the two countries. After the signing of the agreement, the Indian and Chinese armies started to exchange visits and spontaneous border trade became active.

v2.c14.s2.t4.7

From May 28-June 3, 2000, Indian President Kocheril Raman Narayanan paid a week-long visit to China at the invitation of Chinese President Jiang Zemin. Apart from Beijing, the capital city of China, President Narayanan also visited Dalian and Kunming. Both sides jointly commemorated the 50ᵗʰ anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries and compared notes extensively on international and regional issues of common concern. The two sides also reached consensus on many issues, such as promoting global diversified development, strengthening the role of the United Nations, fully embodying the representativeness of developing countries in reforming the United Nations Security Council, establishing just and rational international political and economic new order and jointly safeguarding the peace and stability of South Asian region and the world at large. Both sides also agreed to set up a “China-India Famous Persons Forum”. In 2004, Narayanan visited Beijing again and attended and addressed the “International Symposium on Celebrating the 50ᵗʰ Anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence” organised by Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs.

v2.c14.s2.t4.8

From June 22-27, 2003, the Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee paid a six-day official visit to China at the invitation of Premier Wen Jiabao. Several Chinese leaders met Vajpayee in Beijing and had an extensive exchange of views on bilateral relations and regional and international issues of common concern. Both sides signed 11 cooperative documents including the *Declaration on Principles for Relations and Comprehensive Cooperation between the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of India and strengthened bilateral exchanges and cooperation in various areas. In *The Declaration*, India “recognises that Tibet Autonomous Region is part of the territory of the People’s Republic of China and reiterates that it will not allow Tibetans to engage in political activities against China in India”. This was the first time for the Indian government to recognise the legitimacy that Tibet was Chinese territory in the form of official documents. India and China agreed to appoint their respective special representatives to discuss the framework to solve border issues from the larger picture of the overall bilateral relationship, and to enable the two countries to enter the specific implementation stage to solve the boundary issues left over by history. “The two countries are not threat to each other and will not settle for the use of force and the threat of force,” the agreement mentioned in *The Declaration* is actually “a no war agreement” that held important significance for the security and peace of the two countries. ‘*The Declaration*’ actually enabled the two countries to establish mutual trust in politics from a legal perspective, which paved the way for the two countries to carry out economic and cultural cooperation and develop the overall national relationship. ‘*The Declaration*’ laid a clear emphasis on the economic complementarily between the two nations and the establishment of a joint research group of both Chinese and Indian officials and economists. ‘*The Declaration*’ also put forward that the two countries will establish a fiscal and financial dialogue and cooperation mechanism, and set up cultural centre in each other’s country for bilateral cultural exchanges. All these measures were firstly adopted between the two countries. The signing of ‘*The Declaration*’ demonstrated that India and China will establish even longer, more stable and more persistent bilateral relations. Prime Minister Vajpayee’s visit made historical breakthroughs in bilateral relations between India and China and helped the two countries enter a new era of dialogue and cooperation.

v2.c14.s2.t4.9

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visits the Olympic venues on his visit to China in 2008

v2.c14.s2.t4.10

From January 13-15, 2008, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was invited by Wen Jiabao to pay a state visit to China. He met Chinese President Hu Jintao and Wu Bangguo, President of the NPC Standing Committee, respectively and held talks with Wen Jiabao. Both sides reached a common ground on bilateral relations and on international and regional issues of common concern. Both prime ministers attended the founding ceremony of China-India Joint Medical Mission. Prime Minister Singh delivered a speech at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. During his visit, both sides signed *A Shared Vision for the 21ˢᵗ Century between the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of India*, pointing out that India and China were two largest developing countries in the world. Both sides recognised that they shouldered the historical responsibility for ensuring comprehensive, balanced and sustainable social and economic development of the two countries and boosting the peace and development of Asia and the world at large. The two sides resolved to boost the building of a world of long lasting peace, common prosperity and harmony. After this visit, India and China witnessed strengthened mutual trust in politics and were able to look at the relations from a historical and broader perspective. Both sides also agreed to further close consultation and coordination in international and regional issues and take joint response to challenges in traditional and non-traditional fields. When it comes to the border issues, India and China agreed to reach a just, rational and feasible solution at an early date from a strategic perspective and the larger picture of bilateral relations and through equal consultation and mutual understanding and mutual accommodation. This visit also increased mutual trust and deepened cooperation between the two countries and exerted positive and far-reaching influence on a long-term development of India-China relations.

v2.c14.s2.t4.11

From May 26-31, 2010, Indian President Pratibha Devisingh Patil visited China. Chinese President Hu Jintao, Wu Bangguo, President of the NPC Standing Committee, Wen Jiabao, Chinese Premier and Jia Qinglin, Chairman of CPPCC held talks with President Patil, respectively. Both sides had an in-depth exchange of views of common concern, such as on furthering the development of India-China strategic partnership and reached consensus. Patil accompanied by the then Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping was present at the Reception Marking the 60ᵗʰ Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between India and China. Apart from Beijing, Patil also went to Luoyang to attend the inauguration ceremony of Indian Style Buddhist Hall in the White Horse Temple and went to Shanghai to visit the pavilions of the World Expo.

v2.c14.s2.t4.12

(*Zhang Ran*)

Visit of Chinese Leaders to India Since the Establishment of India-China Diplomatic Relations

v2.c14.s2.t5.1

On April 1, 1950, the Republic of India and the People’s Republic of China established diplomatic relations formally. Thereafter, Chinese leaders have visited India many times on the invitation of Indian leaders, with the results of deepening mutual understanding, promoting the bilateral relations and strengthening India-China friendship. Zhou Enlai, Premier of the Government Administration Council of the People’s Republic of China (present-day State Council of the People’s Republic of China), was invited to visit India for the first time during June 25-28, 1954. During the visit, he had six formal meetings with Jawaharlal Nehru, the Indian Prime Minister, reaffirming the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence guiding India-China relations and met Rajendra Prasad, the Indian President, and Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the Indian Vice-president. Premier Zhou Enlai paid his second visit to India to discuss with Nehru on the border issues from November 28 to December 10, in 1956. He made a speech at the joint conference of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha of India to appraise and express great expectations of India-China friendship and unity and to state the position and viewpoint of the Chinese Government regarding international situations. In addition, he also visited Delhi, Mumbai, Madras and Calcutta. Premier Zhou Enlai paid his third visit to India from April 19-26, in 1960. He met Indian President Rajendra Prasad and had multiple meetings with Nehru to exchange opinions on the border issues and India-China relations, after which the Joint Communiqué of the Premiers of China and India was published to express that the two countries would solve the border issues jointly.

v2.c14.s2.t5.2

Song Qingling in conversation with Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, on October 19, 1954

v2.c14.s2.t5.3

From December 11-16, 1991, Li Peng, Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, was invited to visit India. It was not only the first visit of Chinese premier to India since 1960 but also a return visit of the visit of Rajiv Gandhi, the Indian Prime Minister, to China in 1988. During the visit, Li Peng met Narasimha Rao, Indian Prime Minister, Ramaswamy Venkataraman, Indian President, and Shankar Dayal Sharma, Indian Vice President, with whom he exchanged opinions on India-China relations and major international and regional issues. Both sides signed the five agreements on consuls, border trade and technical cooperation and published the Joint Communiqué of China and India to reiterate the two countries’ hope to keep on developing the neighbourly and friendly and mutually beneficial cooperation relations between the two countries and reach a solution to border issues by negotiation as soon as possible on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. This visit promoted the comprehensive improvement and development of India-China relations, further enhanced mutual understanding and friendship and played an important role in building the constructive cooperative partnership between both sides.

v2.c14.s2.t5.4

From November 28- December 1, 1996, Jiang Zemin, President of the People’s Republic of China, visited India, which was the first visit of China’s head to India. During the visit, President Jiang Zemin had a meeting with H D Gowda, Indian Prime Minister and Shankar Dayal Sharma, Indian President. Both sides expressed their hope in establishing a friendly relationship in future and building a constructive cooperative partnership on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. In addition, President Jiang Zemin also met Sitaram Kesri, Chairman of the Indian National Congress Party and delivered a speech at the reception held by Indian industrial and commercial circles, expressing the expectations and proposing suggestions on the economic cooperation between the two countries.

v2.c14.s2.t5.5

Zhu Rongji, Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, paid an official visit to India from January 14-18 in 2002, during which time he had an official meeting with Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Indian Prime Minister, and met other Indian leaders and representatives from all sectors of society. Premier Zhu also visited Mumbai and Bangalore to strengthen the India-China trade contacts and economic and technical cooperation. Both sides had reached six agreements and memoranda and signed cooperative documents covering the areas of tourism, using the outer space peacefully, water conservancy, talent exchange, science and technology and plant quarantine and so on during this visit, which enhanced mutual trust and laid the foundation for building constructive cooperative partnership, pushing forward the economic, cultural and scientific and technical cooperation between the two countries into a new stage.

v2.c14.s2.t5.6

Premier of the State Council of People's Republic of China Zhou Enlai on his visit to India in 1954

v2.c14.s2.t5.7

Wen Jiabao, Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, visited India from April 9-12 in 2005, during which he met several Indian leaders, such as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, President Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam, Sonia Gandhi, Chairman of the Indian National Congress Party, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, Indian Vice President and ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, and Lal Krishna Advani, leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The Premiers of the two countries published a joint communiqué to announce the establishment of a strategic cooperative partnership for peace and prosperity to promote the bilateral relations to a new level. Both sides signed agreement on the political guiding principles, which is the first political guidance document on the border issues since restoring the negotiation of border issues in 1981, symbolising a new stage of the India-China border negotiation. In addition, both sides published a five-year plan of comprehensive economic and trade cooperation to provide a guide for the bilateral trade development. During this visit, Premier Wen made a speech titled *Hand-in-Hand, Creating a Better Future* at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, calling on all the young people in India and China to create a peaceful and prosperous future hand-in-hand and proposing concrete suggestions on building strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries.

v2.c14.s2.t5.8

From November 20-23, 2006, Hu Jintao, President of the People’s Republic of China, paid a state visit to India, which was the first visit of the head of China to India since the establishment of India-China strategic cooperative partnership. During this visit, President Hu had a meeting with Premier Singh and met with President Kalam, Sonia Gandhi, Chairman of the Indian National Congress Party, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, Indian Vice President and ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Somnath Chatterjee, speaker of the Lok Sabha and L K Advani, leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Both sides reached a consensus on the India-China strategic cooperative partnership and expressed that both sides would be devoted to safeguarding the interests of the developing countries, promoting world multi-polarisation and the democratisation of the international relations and promoting the continuous development of the India-China strategic cooperative partnership. President Hu also met young Indian and Chinese representatives and attended the celebration activities of the “Sino-Indian Friendship Year” together with Indian President A P J Abdul Kalam. President Hu made an important speech titled as *To Create a Better Future Together by Expanding the Mutual Cooperation* regarding the India-China relations and the development course of China in the Indian Science Palace in New Delhi. He then went to Mumbai to attend the Sino-Indian Economic Investment and Cooperation Summit and the Forum of CEOs, in which he also made an important speech. This visit facilitated the cooperation of the two countries in many areas such as investment, health quarantine, human resource development, forestry, cultural relics and establishing consulate-generals mutually.

v2.c14.s2.t5.9

Premier Wen Jiabao paid another visit to India from December 15-17 in 2010, during which he met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, President Pratibha Patil, Sonia Gandhi, Chairman of the Indian National Congress Party and other Indian leaders. He delivered a speech in the Indian Council of World Affairs to comprehensively set forth the policies and position of China towards India-China relations and presented the awards to the Indian friendly personages who had made contributions to the development of the India-China relations. During this visit, both sides published the Sino-Indian Joint Communiqué to announce to establish a regular exchange visit mechanism for the heads and principals and an annual exchange visit mechanism for the ministers of foreign affairs of both countries and to reiterate the determination of pursuing fair, reasonable solutions to border issues acceptable by both sides through negotiation and maintain the peace and tranquility in border areas in a practical way before solving the issues. Both sides also decided to build the India-China strategic economic dialogue mechanism and a forum of CEOs, developed a bilateral trade development goal, and planned to further extend the cooperation in the areas of investment, high-tech and energy. Both sides declared 2011 as “Sino-Indian Exchange Year”, during which they would invite the youth from the other side to deepen the exchange and cooperation in the areas of media and education.

v2.c14.s2.t5.10

Invited by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Li Keqiang, Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, visited India from May 19-22 in 2013, during which he met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, President Pranab Mukherjee, Sonia Gandhi, Chairman of the Indian National Congress Party, Salman Khurshid, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and other Indian leaders. Both sides published a joint communiqué expressing that they would seize the historic opportunity to enhance the mutually political trust, promote practical cooperation and broaden cultural exchange and decided to take 2014 as the “Sino-Indian Friendly Exchange Year” and complete the Sino-Indian Cultural Exchange Encyclopaedia in 2014. They agreed to start the inter-translation of classic Chinese and Indian works and continue to hold the annual exchange visit of a delegation of a 100 young people. Premier Li also visited Tata Group in Mumbai and attended the Sino-Indian Business Summit during which he made a speech. During this visit, the two countries had reached a consensus in the areas of economic and trade cooperation, eg, promoting trade liberalisation, developing large cooperation projects in the areas of industrial park and infrastructure, building the Bangladesh-China-India-Burma Economic Corridor and taking measures to cope with trade imbalance. This visit promoted the India-China strategic partnership for peace and prosperity to a higher level.

v2.c14.s2.t5.11

(*Wang Lingnan & Qiao Anquan*)

v2.c14.s2.t5.12

RAJIV GANDHI’S VISIT TO CHINA IN 1988

v2.c14.s2.t5.13

On the invitation of the Chinese Premier Li Peng, the Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi paid an official visit to China from December 19-23, 1988. He was accompanied by his wife Sonia Gandhi, Indian External Affairs Minister, Narasimha Rao, Minister of Commerce, Dinesh Singh, Minister of Law and Justice and Water Resources, Dr B Shankaranand, Minister of State for External Affairs, K Natwar Singh and other Indian officials.

v2.c14.s2.t5.14

The visit was regarded as a major event in the history of India-China relations as it was the first visit to China by an Indian Prime Minister in 34 years after the ‘*Panchsheel*’ agreement was signed in Beijing on April 29, 1954. It marked a departure from the mutual mistrust that had frozen the relationship between the two countries since the India-China border conflict in 1962. During Gandhi’s visit, both governments signed the Agreement on Cooperation in the field of Science and Technology, Civil Air Transport Agreement, and the Executive Programme regarding the Agreement for Cultural Cooperation Years for the years 1988, 1989 and 1990. The Indian delegation also toured historical sites and scenic spots in Beijing, Xi’an and Shanghai and encouraged the practice of learning from each other in future.

v2.c14.s2.t5.15

Both sides decided that the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, which was earlier a joint initiative by India and China, should constitute the basic guiding principle for good relations between the two countries. Both sides laid emphasis on the restoration and development of good neighbourly relations which would contribute to peace and stability in Asia and also in the world in a larger context.

v2.c14.s2.t5.16

During the visit, the leaders on both sides carried out sincere and detailed discussions on the India-China border issue and reached a common consensus to solve this issue through peaceful and friendly consultations. In this context, a Joint Working Group between the two countries was set up to be headed by the Indian Foreign Secretary and the Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister. It was decided that the Group would meet every six months alternately in the capitals of India and China. The senior representatives of both armies and the ministry of defense would also be part of the Group. The Indian side also affirmed that India considered Tibet as an integral part of China and no anti-China activities were permitted on Indian soil.

v2.c14.s2.t5.17

Gandhi’s visit to China significantly increased the bilateral exchanges between the two countries in the subsequent years and upgraded India-China relations. He also invited Chinese Premier Li Peng to visit India at his convenience which he readily accepted.

v2.c14.s2.t5.18

(*Sabaree Mitra*)

v2.c14.s2.t5.19

CHINESE CULTURAL DELEGATION’S VISIT TO INDIA IN 1954

v2.c14.s2.t5.20

On the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, the Chinese government sent a 60 member Chinese cultural delegation to visit India in 1954. The delegation was led by the Deputy Minister of Culture Zheng Zhenduo and the deputy head of the delegation was Zhou Erfu, Deputy Minister of the Shanghai Municipal Party Committee Propaganda Department. This delegation included troupes of music, dance and Chinese opera with Dai Ailian, the famous Chinese ballerina, as its Art Director. This represented a significant step in developing people-to-people relations between India and China in the early 1950s.

v2.c14.s2.t5.21

The delegation performed in Calcutta (Kolkata), Bombay (Mumbai) and in New Delhi, where its performance was received with warmth and enthusiasm. The delegation was accorded a high level reception from the Indian government, as Premier Zhou Enlai had just returned to China after signing the ‘*Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence*’ or the ‘*Panchsheel*’ Treaty with the Indian Government. Nehru designated his daughter Indira Gandhi as the reception committee chairperson.

v2.c14.s2.t5.22

During their stay in India, some of the Chinese dancers were enthralled with the beauty and

v2.c14.s2.t5.24

*Rajiv Gandhi on his visit to China in 1988* charm of the Indian dance forms and they were encouraged by the troupe Art Director Dai Ailian to learn Indian dance. This was the beginning of the long and intimate relationship that the famous Chinese danseuse Zhang Jun had with Indian dance

v2.c14.s2.t5.25

Zheng Zhenze and Zhou Erfu as leader and deputy leader of the State Cultural delegation that visited India in 1954

v2.c14.s2.t5.26

forms such as Kathak, Bharatanatyam and Odissi. The delegation also included famous Peking Opera performers such as Li Shaochun, Yuan Shihai, Ye Shengzhang and Li Hezeng.

v2.c14.s2.t5.27

The visit of Chinese Cultural Delegation to India in 1954-55. This photograph was taken on arrival of the Delegation at the Palam Airport. Cheng Chento, Vice-Minister of Cultural Affairs of the People's Republic of China, appears third form the left. On his left is Indira Gandhi, Chairman of the Reception Committee for the Delegation. At extreme left in the picture is A K Chanda, Deputy Minister for External Affairs, Government of India.

v2.c14.s2.t5.28