Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c14.s2.t3.4

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.