Acting Consul General Wang Awei (centre) with Indian dignitaries Manisha Mhaiskar, Chief Protocol Officer (right); Prashant Narnaware, Principal Secretary and representative of Dr. C.P. Radhakrishnan, Governor of Maharashtra (left) | File Image
Mumbai: The Chinese Consulate in Mumbai celebrated the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations on Thursday.
Speaking on the occasion, the Acting Consul General in Mumbai, Wang Awei, said China and India share a longstanding friendship with close ties in geography, history, culture, and mentality. She added that the past 75 years have proven that as long as China and India join hands and work together, both countries can become a great force to create history by advancing prosperity, enhancing people’s well-being, and promoting world peace and development.
“Seventy-five years ago, China and India, as two young republics, established diplomatic relations. Freed from the yoke of colonialism, our hands held tightly together. Over the past 75 years, despite ups and downs, China-India relations have weathered storms and demonstrated robust resilience. We are glad to see that since our two leaders met last October, China-India relations have been moving back on the right track. A new spring for us is coming,” she said.
“We are neighbors connected by mountains and rivers… Mutual learning in religion, philosophy, culture, and thoughts has brought a huge and profound influence on our social life, languages, and mindset. After Chinese tea was introduced to India, it became the popular magic drink of the Indian people.
Wang Awei speaking at the event | File Image
The Hindi word ‘chai’ remarkably preserves the phonetic essence of the Chinese word ‘茶’. Buddhism spread from India to China. Since then, Buddhist terminology has become an inseparable part of Chinese language and culture, and Buddhist architecture and art have shown a strong presence across China.”
“Under the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, we play leading roles in promoting regional security and development. More importantly, China and India have been each other’s largest regional trading partners for years. With increasing trade volumes and the completion of major infrastructure and investment projects, the cooperation between us has injected vitality into our economies, created more jobs, and brought more high-quality but affordable products and services to our people. President Xi Jinping pointed out that China and India are each other’s development opportunity rather than threat, and cooperation partners rather than competitors. This is a visionary strategic judgment based on the achievements of the past 75 years and the immense potential of China-India relations. The Chinese government always places great importance on relations with India. We strongly believe that China and India, together comprising one-third of the world’s population, must find the right way to get along and cooperate in the spirit of mutual respect and benefit,” Awei added.
Awei stressed that people from both sides are eagerly expecting greater progress in the bilateral relations. “This year, our office has accepted over 30000 visa applications and witnesses a 70% surge compared with last year. Last Monday, we broke daily applications record for past 15 years. The numbers have demonstrated our shared aspiration and confidence to deepen exchanges and cooperation in the most visible way.”
The Indian dignitaries present at the celebrations included Manisha Mhaiskar, Chief Protocol Officer; Dr. Rajagopal Devara, Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Maharashtra; and Prashant Narnaware, Principal Secretary and representative of Dr. C.P. Radhakrishnan, Governor of Maharashtra.
Wang Awei with Manisha Mhaiskar |
During his address, Prashant Narnaware emphasised that India holds great admiration for China, especially in the fields of IT, manufacturing, semiconductors, and fintech, and noted that the two nations have made commendable strides in commerce and business. “As we mark this significant 75-year journey, let us reaffirm our commitment to building a future that is peaceful, progressive, and prosperous for both our nations and our region at large. The potential of our partnership is immense—not just for Asia but for the entire world. In fact, India and China are two shining stars in Asia. The Asian age is coming again, and we are happy China is with us,” he said.
Prashant Narnaware speaking at the event | File Image
“The Hon’ble Governor has often encouraged student and faculty exchanges and cultural collaborations that can enhance mutual understanding and academic engagement. The Governor has also actively promoted the learning of foreign languages among college and university students. We will greatly appreciate the help of the Consulate in initiating short-term programmes in Mandarin language in the universities and colleges of Maharashtra,” Narnaware added.
Wang Awei with Prashant Narnaware | File Image
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the development of India-China ties was conducive to a stable and multipolar world. The sentiment was echoed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, as leaders from the two countries exchanged congratulatory messages to mark the Diamond Jubilee of bilateral relations.
While Modi expressed hope that the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between India and China would usher bilateral relations into a stage of sound and stable development, Xi, in a message to President Droupadi Murmu, called for a “dragon-elephant tango” to serve the fundamental interests of both countries.
The celebrations between the two Asian giants come months after both sides firmed up an agreement on patrolling and disengagement of troops at the remaining friction points of Depsang and Demchok along the LAC in eastern Ladakh.
