Sixtieth Anniversary of China-India Diplomatic Relations Marked

The Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries will make great efforts to further the friendship and cooperation between the people of China and India working together with personages of all circles，” pledged President Chen Haosu， speaking at a reception in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

The reception was jointly held by the CPAFFC and the Indian Embassy in Beijing on April 6. State Councilor Dai Bingguo was among those present. CPAFFC President Chen Haosu and Indian Minister of External Affairs S. M. Krishna made speeches on behalf of the two sides.

On April 1， 1950， India became the first non-socialist country to forge diplomatic ties with China. The two countries， both ancient civilizations in the world， are traditional

ly neighbors linked by mountains and rivers; direct contacts have a history of over 2，000 years. In the 1950s， Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai and Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru put forward the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence* in line with the cherished sentiment that “Chinese and Indian people are brothers”. Since entering the new century， the two countries have witnessed enhanced friendly exchanges and cooperation in all fields. They established a strategic cooperative partnership for peace and prosperity in 2005， signed “A Shared Vision for the 21st Century” in 2008， and have deepened their cooperation in the fields of trade， science and technology， energy， counter- terrorism and fight against transnational crimes.

President Chen Haosu said: “With increasingly deepened official ties between China and India， people-to-people exchanges have also been thriving. The number of students going to study in each other’s countries increases every year. The scale of tourism between the two countries expands rapidly and there is a growing popularity of Indian songs， dances and films in China. Academic and cultural exchanges between the two countries such as forums and symposiums sponsored by non-governmental organizations are on the increase. As one of the first people’s organizations engaged in non-governmental diplomatic work in China， the CPAFFC is committed to promoting exchanges between the people of China and In- dia. It has organized a series of activities which were rich in content and had far-reaching significance.” In Chinese culture， he noted， the number 60 carries a special meaning. It represents the end of a cycle and heralds the beginning of a new chapter. He called for joint efforts for ever deepening relations.

Indian External Minister Krishna said that the friendly cooperation between India and China not only conforms to the interests of both countries， but is also conducive to world peace. There were broad prospects for closer cooperation and India would take the opportunity of the 60th anniversary to enhance cooperation， contacts and understanding between the two countries and their peoples.

The External Minister unveiled a logo specially designed for the 60th anniversary celebrations.

Jiang Zhenghua， President of the China-India Friendship Association， Zhang Zhijun， Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs， Nirupama Rao， Indian Foreign Secretary who accompanied the External Minister Krishna on his visit to China， S. Jaishankar， Indian Ambassador to China， were among more than 200 people attending the reception， which was filled with a friendly and happy atmosphere. Chinese and Indian artists and Chinese students performed Indian songs and dances.

*Mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity， mutual non-aggression， non-interference in each other’s internal affairs， equality and mutual benefit， and peaceful coexistence.