Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c14.s2.t3: Establishment of India-China Diplomatic Relations
Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c14.s2.t3
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Establishment of India-China Diplomatic Relations
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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.
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*China Expeditionary Force in India; General Sun Li-jen reviews the troops in Ramgarh*
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*Indian Ambassador to China, K. M. Pannikar presents his credentials to Chairman Mao Zedong*
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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.
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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.
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(Sabaree Mitra & Jiang Jingkui)