Chinese Dragon and Indian Elephant Dance to the Same Tune.docx
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ChineseDragonandIndianElephantDancetotheSameTune
ChineseDragonandIndianElephantDancetotheSameTune
THISyearmarksthe65thanniversaryoftheestablishmentofdiplomaticrelationsbetweenthePeople’sRepublicofChinaandtheRepublicofIndia.Tolearnmoreabouttherelationshipbetweenthetwocountries,ChinaTodayinterviewedAshokK.Kantha,IndianAmbassadortoChina,whosharedhisinsightsonthetwocountries’bilateralrelationsonmultipleissuesincludingdiplomacy,economicandtradecooperation,peopleto-peopleandculturalexchanges,theBeltandRoadInitiatives,theboundaryissue,andIndianPrimeMinisterNarendraModi’supcomingvisittoChinathisMay.
ChinaToday:
ChinaandIndiaaretwoofthelargestandmostpopulousdevelopingcountriesintheworld,aswellasneighborsandcooperationpartners.Canyougiveusabriefevaluationoftherelationsbetweenthetwocountries?
AmbassadorKantha:
First,IwouldliketoconveymybestwishestoChinaToday’sreadersforahappyandprosperousYearoftheSheep.Thisyearwearejointlycelebratingthe65thanniversaryofdiplomaticrelationsbetweenIndiaandChina.Ourrelationshiphascomealongwaysincetheestablishmentofrelationsin1950andtherehasbeenenormousdevelopmentinallspheres?
Cbeitinthebilateral,regionalormultilateralcontext.
Since2005,whenweestablishedthestrategicandcooperativepartnershipforthepeaceandprosperityofIndiaandChina?
CadecisionwithwhichIwascloselyinvolved?
Cwehaveseenanall-arounddevelopmentofrelationsbetweenourtwocountries;wehaveseenincreasedfrequencyofhigh-levelvisitsandexchanges,includingthoseatthetopleadershiplevel;wehaveseenabigjumpinoureconomicrelationship;andwehaveexpandedcooperationinthedefenceandsecuritydomain.Wearetodaymakinggreatprogressinpeople-to-peopleexchanges;wearerediscoveringancientculturallinkagesbetweenourtwogreatcountriesandcivilizations;andwearealsodevelopingcooperationinnewareas:
SmartCities,civilnuclearcooperation,spaceandexchangesbetweenprovincesofourtwocountries.Overall,thedevelopmentofourrelationshipinthelastdecadehasbeenpositiveandmostimpressive.
Iwouldliketoespeciallyhighlightourpeople-topeoplerelationship.Lastyear,wecelebratedtheYearofIndia-ChinaFriendlyExchanges.WeorganizedtheGlimpsesofIndiafestivalin14Chinesecitiesanditssuccesshasgivenusconfidenceinfurthersuchengagementsinthefuture. Ofcourse,therearesomeoutstandingissues,butthereisamutualagreementthatourtwocountrieswilladdressthemandnotletthemgetinthewayoftheall-aroundandcomprehensivedevelopmentofourrelations.Ourrelationshiphasmaturedandyetremainsfullofpotential.
Afewdaysago,ForeignMinisterWangYiaddressedapressconferenceandquotedMr.DengXiaopingassayingthatnogenuineAsianCenturywouldcomeaboutwithoutthedevelopmentofChinaandIndia.Today,wearewitnessingtheremarkableandsimultaneousreemergenceofourtwogreatcivilizations.Wearechasingourrespectivedreamsandareseekingnationaldevelopmentandnationalunification.Andwebelievethatthereisaconsensusbetweenusthatthisprocessmusttakeplaceinamutuallysupportivemanner.
ChinaToday:
Throughtheyears,ChinaandIndia’sbilateraleconomicandtradeexchangeshavecontinuedtogofromstrengthtostrength;ChinaisbecomingoneofthelargesttradepartnersofIndia.Itispredictedthatbytheendof2015,bilateraltradevolumewillreachUS$100billion.Howdoyouviewtheseachievementsandwhatmeasureswillbetakentorealizethistarget?
AmbassadorKantha:
AccordingtoChinesetradestatisticsthebilateraltradevolumewasoverUS$70billionlastyearandsoourgoalfor2015lookstobeanambitiousone.But,thereisoneissuethatneedstobeaddressedwithamatterofurgency,andthatisIndia’sbigtradedeficit.
In2014,ChinesedatashowedthatIndia’stradedeficitwithChinawasaboutUS$38billion;accordingtoourdata,thedeficitwasaroundUS$45billion,whichaccountedforone-thirdofIndia’sglobaltradedeficit.Thatisaconcernonbothsides.WearecommittedtoexpandingourtraderelationswithChinainordertoaddressthis.WeseekbettermarketaccessinChinaforIndianproductsandservicesthathaveacomparativeadvantage.Webelievewehaveacertaincompetitiveedge?
CbeitinITservicesorpharmaceuticalproducts.WebelievethatifwehavebetteraccesstotheChinesemarketourexportswillincrease.
Next,wehavetoworkwithourChinesefriendstodiversifyandbroad-baseoureconomicengagement.Wemustensuretwo-wayinvestmentflows.AsIhavementionedbefore,thepotentialforcooperationishuge.DuringPresidentXiJinping’slandmarkvisittoIndialastSeptember,wesignedafive-yearactionplantopromoteeconomicrelationsbetweenIndiaandChina.PrimeMinisterNarendraModihasinvitedChinesecompaniestocomeandparticipateintheeconomicdevelopmentofIndiaaspartners.Specifically,wewouldliketoseemoreChineseengagementinthemanufacturingandinfrastructuresegments.PrimeMinisterModilaunchedtheMakeinIndiacampaigninSeptember2014.Ithasreceivedverygoodresponsefrombothdomesticandforeigninvestors.ThereisexcitingpotentialforChinesecompaniesandentitiestojoininthisunfoldingcampaign.Thegrowingeconomicengagementbetweenourtwocountriescanandshouldbeawin-winsituation. ChinaToday:
In2014theMinistryofFinanceofIndiabudgetedtobuildhundredsofSmartCities,andChinesescienceandtechnologyindustrieswerewelcomedtotakepart.HowwillyouencouragetheChinesegovernment,Chineseenterprisesandsocialorganizationsaccepttheinvitation?
WhatdoyouhopeChinawillbringtothetable?
AmbassadorKantha:
SmartandsustainableurbanizationisIndia’spriorityandPrimeMinisterModihasattachedgreatimportancetotheinitiativeofSmartCities.Wehavealreadyembarkedonthisprogramfor100cities.
WearenowlookingatChinaasourprospectivepartnerinthisinitiative.WhenPresidentXiJinpingvisitedIndialastSeptember,weproposedthatIndiaandChinashouldworktogetherononeSmartCityinIndiaandoneSmartCityinChinaasapilotproject.
WewouldliketobenefitfromChina’sexperienceandexpertiseinsettingupSmartCities.Indiancompanieshavetheirowncompetenceinthisarea,particularlyintheITsector.Wecanbenefitfromeachother’sexperienceandcontributetoeachother’sprograms.
ChinaToday:
Intheautumnof2013,PresidentXiputforwardtheBeltandRoadInitiatives.WhatdoestheIndiangovernmentthinkabouttheinitiatives?
Whatareourmutualinterestsinthisregard?
AmbassadorKantha:
WeareverycloselyfollowingtheseimportantinitiativesandareawarethattheChinesegovernmenthasattachedhighimportancetothem.However,someofthedetailshavenotbeenspelledout.Atthesametime,weunderstandthattheyareanimportantaspectofChina’sconnectivityagendaandneighborhoodstrategy.IndiaalsohasitsownplansofdevelopingconnectivitywithcountriesoftheregionincludingChina.Ourapproachisthatwhereverwehavemutualinterestsandsynergieswemustworktogether.Thus,weareworkingtogetherontheBCIMEconomicCorridorandtheAIIB.
ChinaToday:
2014wastheYearofChina-IndiaFriendlyExchanges.Howdoyouviewthepeople-to-peopleexchangesandculturalcooperationbetweenthem?
Whatsuccesseshavetherebeeninenhancingunderstandingbetweenourtwopeoples?
AmbassadorKantha:
People-to-peopleexchangesbetweenChinaandIndiaareparticularlyimportant.
AsImentionedearlier,weorganizedtheGlimpsesofIndiaFestivalin14citiesofChinalastyear.Ithelpedusbuildconnectionsattheprovincialandsub-provinciallevels.WeestablishedsisterprovincerelationshipsbetweenIndia’sGujaratStateandChina’sGuangdongProvince,andalsosetupsistercityrelationships.Increasingly,weareinvolvingprovincesinbuildingfriendshipbetweenourtwocountries,whichisveryimportantbecausebothIndiaandChinaaresuchlargecountriesthatwecannothavearelationshipexclusivelybetweenBeijingandNewDelhi.Wemustengagetheprovincestohelppromotebilaterallinks. OneoftheoutcomesofPresidentXiJinping’svisittoIndialastyearwasthedecisionheandPrimeMinisterModimadetojointlycelebrate2015astheVisitIndiaYearinChinaand2016astheVisitChinaYearinIndia,theobjectivebeingtoenhancetourismbetweenourtwocountries.
Lastyear,over100millionChinesetouriststraveledabroad,butourshareofthenumberwasverysmall.ThisyearwelaunchedtheVisitIndiaYearataspecialfunctioninBeijingwhichwasattendedbyourForeignMinisterSushmaSwarajandChineseVicePremierWangYang.PrimeMinisterModisentoutaspecialvideomessage,invitingChinesepeopletovisitIndia.ThisyearwewillorganizeaseriesofactivitiesindifferentpartsofChinainpartnershipwiththeChinaNationalTourismAdministrationandotherChineseentitiestoexpandourtourismcooperation.Theobjectiveistoen-couragebetterunderstandingandfostermutualtrustamongthepeople.
ChinaToday:
Lastyearwasthe60thanniversaryoftheFivePrinciplesofPeacefulCoexistence.ChinaandIndiahavebuiltupaseriesofdialoguesandacommunicationsystemtoexchangeideasontheboundaryissue.What’syouropiniononpragmaticcooperationondefenseissuesandwhatdoesitmeantolocalaffairsandglobalsafety?
AmbassadorKantha:
Ontheoccasionofthe60thanniversaryoftheFivePrinciplesofPeacefulCoexistencelastyear,ourVicePresident