Chinese Embassy in India Holds Virtual Meeting to Celebrate the 71st National Day of the People's Republic of China
2020-09-30 20:17

On September 29, 2020, the Chinese Embassy in India held a virtual meeting to celebrate the 71st national day of the People's Republic of China. Representatives from friendly organizations, including Mr. V Bhaskran, General Secretary of the Karnataka India-China Friendship Association (ICFA), Dr. Inderjit Singh, Director of Dr. Kotnis Acupuncture Health and Education Center, Dr. Jyoti Mohapatra, General Secretary of Friends of China Society, Mr. Gopi Achari, General Secretary of the Kerala ICFA, Dr. Mohan Reddy, General Secretary of the Hyderabad ICFA, Dr. Das Bikash Kali, General Secretary the Pondicherry ICFA, other Indian friends from all over India, as well as Chinese diplomats in the Embassy attended the event.

Chinese Ambassador to India H.E. Sun Weidong made keynote speech introducing China's development and China-India relations. Indian representatives from friendly organizations expressed warm congratulations and sincere blessings on the occasion of the 71st anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, and extended their appreciation for China's great achievements in various fields and its successful fight against the COVID-19 epidemic. They recalled the historical exchanges between the two great civilizations, and wish India and China can continue to promote people-to-people and cultural exchanges, enhance mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples. They hope that the bilateral relations will be brought back to the right track of healthy and sound development, and that India and China can join hands to realize the Asian Century.

At the end of the event, Ambassador Sun Weidong thanked Indian representatives for their touching and inspirational views and made concluding remarks. Regarding the bilateral relations, Ambassador Sun responded by saying that he is reading a new book"The Indian Way: Strategies for an Uncertain World"written by External Affairs Minister Dr. Jaishankar. In this book there's one chapter about China-India relations. Dr. Jaishankar writes, the ability of India and China to work together could determine the Asian Century. Their ties are without doubt one of the most consequential relationships of our times. When they look beyond just national interest, the two countries are indeed convergent in their effort to create a more balanced world. In 2017, when the leaders of the two countries met at Astana, they reached consensus that at a time of global uncertainty, India-China relations are a factor of stability and in their relationship, India and China must not allow differences to become disputes. This revealed that despite all their divergences, there is a strategic maturity at work between them. Dr. Jaishankar also positively commented the informal summits between the two leaders in Wuhan and Chennai, and said it could well be a sign of a different future. Ambassador Sun said Dr. Jaishankar has a lot of insight into these ideas.

Ambassador Sun pointed out that equally, the Chinese side believes that China-India relations go far beyond the bilateral scope and have great regional and global significance. A sound China-India relationship is an important and positive factor in maintaining world stability, and as two great civilizations, China and India can also make great contributions to building a community with a shared future for mankind. The informal summit between the two leaders is a milestone, providing a fundamental guidance and charting the course for the development of China-India relations. The growth of China and India is the trend of times and an important opportunity for each other. The two sides should firmly grasp the general direction of the relationship, regard each other as positive factors in the changing balance of power in the world, and manage differences in a more mature manner. China and India have consensus in these aspects, on which we can move our bilateral relations in a positive and constructive direction.

Ambassador Sun said, as a Chinese saying goes, a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. Promoting China-India friendship needs to start from every little bit. It also needs the participation of more people of insight like you. Compared with 2.7 billion population in our two countries, it is far from enough to have 1 million people of exchanges every year. Only by deepening exchanges can we increase understanding. Only by increasing understanding can we deepen mutual understanding and establish genuine trust and friendship. This year, the people-to-people exchanges have been somehow affected by the pandemic and other factors. However, the history of friendly exchanges between the two peoples lasting more than two thousand years will never be blocked by the pandemic or temporary difficulties in bilateral relations. It will last forever and ever.

Ambassador Sun stressed that over the years, no matter how the bilateral relations have changed, the ICFA has always adhered to the faith of China-India friendship, spread the positive energy of friendship to the Indian society and people, and made significant contributions to enhancing mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples. Friends from the ICFA have done a lot in this regard, for which he highly appreciates. As China-India relations are facing challenges, it is all the more important for friends of our two countries who support and care about China-India friendship, to play a positive and bigger role in cementing public opinion and accumulating consensus on the bilateral relations.

Ambassador Sun said that this year marks the 110th birth anniversary of Dr. Dwarkanath Kotnis. Dr. Kotnis was an internationalist fighter. In the 1930s, two Indian doctors Dr. Kotnis and Dr. B.K.Basu, joined the Indian medical team to help China against the Japanese invasion. Dr. Kotnis sacrificed his precious life for this undertaking. Dr. Basu brought Chinese acupuncture to India for curing the sickness and saving lives. He also trained acupuncture doctors. Dr. Kotnis had left us, but the torch of China-India friendship he had held high has never been extinguished. The two ends of a small acupuncture needle are connected to the hearts of the Chinese and Indian people. Ambassador Sun hopes Indian friends will carry forward the spirit of Dr. Kotnis and continue to make contribution to China-India friendship.

Ambassador Sun stressed that the future of China-India relations lies with the youth. At a time when the epidemic situation became severe, the youth of our two countries recorded videos in Chinese and Hindi respectively to cheer on each other. They have shown the friendship between the Chinese and Indian people with concrete action. Chinese people feel deep sympathy for the Indian people being affected by the pandemic, and wish India an early victory over the pandemic and resume normal track of work and life at the earliest. Ambassador Sun hopes that more young people will devote themselves to the cause of China-India friendship, so that the flame of China-India friendship will be passed on from generation to generation.

At the beginning of the event, a video clip titled "China 2020: Putting People First" was played, which vividly demonstrated Chinese people's fight against the COVID-19 epidemic, the great achievements of China's poverty alleviation and building a moderately prosperous society in all respects.

Suggest to a Friend
  Print