Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c14.s2.t1: Visit of Chiang Kai-Shek and His Wife to India
Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c14.s2.t1
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Visit of Chiang Kai-Shek and His Wife to India
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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
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*Chiang Kai-shek meets Jawaharlal Nehru in India, 1942*
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delegation departed from Chongqing by a special plane on February 4 and arrived in Calcutta, India on February 5 via Kunming and Myanmar.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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*A picture of Mahatma Gandhi with Chiang Kai-shek and his wife during the couple's visit to India in 1942*
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the evening, the delegation left Calcutta by plane to Kunming.
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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.