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To commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Indian Aid-ChinaMedical Mission’s arrival in China， the China-India Joint Medical Mission (CIJMM) consisting of 20 young doctors， ten each from China and India selected by the CPAFFC and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR)， offered free medical service to the disadvantaged group of people in Beijing and Hebei Province from January 14 to 21， 2008.

The leaders of the two countries attached great importance to the CIJMM. On January 14， Premier Wen Jiabao and visiting Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh attended the ceremony of the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation between the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations on the China-India Joint Medical Mission and the inauguration of the CIJMM， and issued the honorary certificates to the mission members. The CIJMM’s activities got support from the leaders and the health departments at various levels of the Hebei Provincial Government. People’s Daily， Xinhua News Agency， China Daily and China Radio International gave its activities timely and detailed coverage.

The activities carried out by the first CIJMM have achieved good social effects and played a positive role in popularizing the international humanitarian spirit of the Indian Aid-China Medical Mission， carrying forward Sino-Indian traditional friendship and promoting mutual understanding between the Chinese and Indian people.

Carrying Forward Sino-Indian Traditional Friendship

In recent years Sino-Indian relations have presented a gratifying situation and been developing on a fast track. Both China and India， as big emerging countries， are facing the new tasks of making all-round development. It is the trend of our times that the two countries should strengthen cooperation and jointly rise to challenges. To give new contents to Sino-Indian traditional friendship in the new historical period is of great significance for the two countries to enhance trust， dispel suspicion and deepen exchanges.

The CIJMM visited Dr. Kotnis Memorial Halls and his former residence in Shijiazhuang City and Tangxian County. The internationalist spirit of sacrificing oneself to save others displayed by the Indian Aid-China Medical Mission greatly inspired the Chinese and Indian doctors. Zhang Jinting， Chinese team leader of the CIJMM and vice president of the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University， said that they would work in a down-to-earth manner， carry forward the international humanitarian spirit and let medical science and skills transcend national boundaries to benefit the Chinese and Indian people and open a new chapter of Sino-Indian friendship. Dr. Puneet Geol， Indian team leader said， they， the Indian younger generation， are deeply touched by the fact that the Chinese people still remember， respect and love the Indian Aid-China Medical Mission. The fraternity between India and China forged during the war years is precious. They are ready to work hand in hand with the Chinese doctors on the new battlefield of fighting against diseases and poverty and build a new image of India- China friendship.

Promoting Medical Exchanges

This activity has provided a good platform for medical exchanges between China and India. The CIJMM visited Dr. Bethune International Peace Hospital， the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University， (also named Dr. Kotnis China-India Friendship Hospital)， Dr. Bethune Hospital in Tangxian County and the Medical Service Centre of Beijing Huayuan Community. Through exchanges and discussions on special subjects， the doctors of the two countries understood better each other’s health situation and systems， and medical concepts and skills. The two sides unanimously held that the similarity and complementariness between China and India in the field of health were a good foundation for the medical colleges of the two countries to carry out exchanges and cooperation in the future.

Caring about Disadvantaged Groups

Both China and India are populous countries and have a vast number of disadvantaged people that need to be given special care. How to help them is of special significance for the two countries to maintain steady and rapid growth. For this reason， the CIJMM paid an official call on the Ministry of Health with the aim of knowing about China’s three-tier rural health care network， rural medical facilities， training of rural medical workers and the new type cooperative medical care system in rural areas. The Indian doctors said that China’s experience in formulating and implementing the rural medical care system is worth learning by India.

The CIJMM gave free medical service to the disadvantaged rural people in Tangxian County of Hebei Province where the Indian Aid-China Medical Mission had worked very hard and Gegong Village where Dr. Kotnis sacrificed his life. The Chinese and Indian doctors offered free medical treatment to the local people and home medical service to the farmers living in the out-of-the way places. They had discussions with the local doctors on some difficult cases of illness， imparted experiences in making diagnosis and giving treatment and donated medi- cine to the Tangxian County Hospital and the farmers who needed help. The CIJMM was warmly welcomed by the local people wherever they went.