NEW DELHI, India — China is willing to be India’s partner in the pursuit of modernization, with development serving as the “greatest common denominator” between the two countries, China’s Ambassador to India Xu Feihong said on Tuesday.
Speaking at a seminar titled “China’s 15th Five-Year Plan: New Blueprint for China’s Development, New Opportunities for China-India Cooperation,” the Ambassador said the two countries should align their development strategies and move forward together.
He said Beijing is prepared to work with India as a practical partner in advancing high-level cooperation as China moves into the implementation phase of its next Five-Year Plan.
Xu said China will continue to strengthen its real-economy base, accelerate scientific and technological self-reliance, and expand high-standard opening policies, creating new opportunities for international collaboration, including with India.
He said China plans to upgrade traditional industries such as chemicals and machinery, a move expected to unlock about $1.4 trillion in new market potential over the next five years. He added that emerging sectors like new energy and new materials could drive several trillion-dollar growth engines, while strategic investments in areas such as bio-manufacturing and sixth-generation mobile communication could build an entirely new high-tech ecosystem in China over the next decade.
Xu said India is pursuing major national initiatives, including “Make in India,” and added that Beijing is ready to expand cooperation so both sides can benefit more broadly from development. He said China welcomes more premium imports from India, as well as more Indian companies investing and operating in China.
He also said China is ready to work with India as a defender of multilateralism. In a reference to the United States, he said some major countries have pursued unilateral hegemony, waged trade wars, and selectively applied international rules, creating challenges for developing nations. He said China and India should stand together to oppose hegemony and help steer global multipolarity and economic globalization in a fair direction.
He said bilateral trade between India and China reached $115.2 billion in the first nine months of this year, up 11 percent from the same period last year. Since April, India’s exports to China have grown by more than 10 percent each month, including a 42 percent jump in October.
Xu said China has resumed the Kailash Manasarovar pilgrimage for Indian citizens, while India has resumed issuing tourist visas to Chinese nationals. Direct flights between both countries have also restarted.
He said the meeting earlier this year between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping in Tianjin charted the path for further improvement of bilateral relations. (Source: IANS)
