24 April 2018, New Delhi
Theme: “India-China Relations in the New Era”
India Foundation organised a round-table discussion with a visiting Delegation from China on 24 April 2018 at Pravasi Bhartiya Kendra, New Delhi. The theme of discussion was “India-China relations in the New Era”. The interaction witnessed scholarly and candid exchange of views from both sides on all important issues. The discussions covered a wide agenda spanning bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest.
The delegates on both sides agreed that to fully realize the potential of closer development partnership between India and China, the two nations have to explore new innovative ways to get along with each other. There was a common understanding on both sides that informal set up of Wuhan Summit will help in longer term in increasing the mutual trust, managing and controlling disputes and deepening cooperation and will lead to a new phase in India-China relations.
Both sides agreed that as two major countries and large emerging economies, healthy development of India-China relations is very important for the emergence of Asian Century because commonalities between two nations outweigh the differences and thus both countries must build on the convergences, while seeking mutually acceptable resolution of the differences. Indian side reaffirmed that in making efforts to progress the bilateral relations in diverse areas, both sides needs to maintain peace and tranquillityon the borders because it is an essential pre-requisite for the smooth development of bilateral relations.
Indian side reiterated its position to the Chinese delegates that China should recognize the common threat posed by terrorism and should strongly condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.On Indo-Pacific, Chinese delegates opined that the Indo-Pacific strategy is an idea for the United States and other countries to connect the Indian Ocean and the Pacific region, to constrain China’s rise from a geopolitical perspective, and to safeguard its own leadership and interests in the region.On the question related to Belt & Road initiative, Indian side made it clear that China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) violates India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and no country would accept a project that ignores its core concerns.
The 7 Member Delegation from China was headed by Mr. RuanZongze, Vice President, China Institute of International Studies and other member of the Delegation were Mr. Zhang Sheping (Counsellor, Department of Asian Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China), Mr. Zhang Yansheng(Principal Researcher，China Center for International Economic Exchanges), Mr. Zhang Hui (Associate Dean of School of Economics of Peking University), Mr. Wang Xu (Professor of Center of South Asian Studies of Peking University), Mr. Lu Daming(Third Secretary of Division of Information and Public Diplomacy of Department of Asian Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China) and Dr. Yao Yuanmei, Second Secretary, Political Division, Chinese Embassy, New Delhi. On Indian side, Shri Ram Madhav, (National General Secretary, BJP and Director, India Foundation), Shri Ashok Kantha (Director, Institute of Chinese Studies), Vice Admiral Shekhar Sinha (FormerC-in-C, Western Naval Command, Indian Navy), Shri Shakti Sinha (Director, NMML), Prof.Srinkanth Kondapalli (Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi), Dr Sonu Trivedi (Assistant Prof, Delhi University), Maj Gen Dhruv C Katoch (Director, India Foundation), Shri Alok Bansal (Director, India Foundation), Shri P. Stobdan (Former Ambassador and Senior Fellow, IDSA) and Senior Research Fellows of India Foundation participated in the round-table discussion.
