Terming it as ‘ten pillars’; India, China escalate bilateral relations connecting cultural ties
New Delhi, December 22: Forget the clichés of bilateral ties and diplomatic relations, people-to-people ties is the new operative word in India-China relations. With Wang Yi, China's foreign minister, visiting India and holding wide range discussions with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj; the two countries discussed how to enhance the cultural links between the two Asian giants and how to enhance the people-to-people interaction.
Highlighting the importance of the meeting, EAM Sushma Swaraj mentioned the ten discussed areas as ten pillars of bilateral mechanism. These 10 pillars include cultural exchanges, film and television cooperation and joint production, museums, sports, youth, tourism, state and city level exchanges, traditional medicine, yoga, and education. The high level mechanism was the outcome of the Wuhan Summit that took place between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jingping this April.
On sidelines of these areas of interests to escalate the cultural relations, there were several events lined up.
One of the event included a think tank forum, which was ought to be a joint media forum and a film festival. The media forum began immediately after the joint address, and both ministers emphasised the role of the media in reporting about the ties between the two countries, for each other, as well as for the world. Wang Yi noted that India and China together were 2.7 billion people, a third of humanity, and how they interact with each other is of interest not just to them, but to the entire world.
EAM Sushma Swaraj mentioned that interactions between the two militaries should also step up in the form of joint exercises. She also added that while the trade between the two nations was increasing, the balance of trade issue still needs to be addressed. She expressed hope that China would provide access to Indian goods and services in its markets.
Further, the two ministers also inaugurated the Photo Exhibition at Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra portraying the various facets of enhanced exchanges between India & China.
The two leaders added that cultural links and people connect will be an important facet of every multilateral organisation that the two nations are partners in, like Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, BRICS and RIC. With this concluding the year on a higher note, the two country leaders attended a function on cultural evening marking the launch of High Level Mechanism on Cultural & People-to-People exchanges.
At this one ocassion, both sides chose to ignore the elephant in the room and did not even mention strategic issues, border problems and a host of puzzling issues in Indo-China relations.