India, China Should Have Friendly, Closer Ties

India and China, as two giants, should forge "friendly" and "closer" ties, and both sides should understand the importance of friendship between the two countries, adjust their policies and intensify their contacts.

The remark was made Monday afternoon by Professor M. D. Nalapat, head of the Geopolitics Department of the Manipal Academy of Higher Education of India.

Nalapat, former deputy editor-in-chief of the Times of India, is here as a guest of the China Association for International Friendly Contacts to discuss bilateral one-on-one contact between the two countries.

The 51-year-old scholar said that the political relations between India and China are "good," which is not enough, suggesting that the two sides should enhance exchanges at different levels and in various fields involving culture, economy and trade.

The cultural exchanges between the two countries are "small" and it is a "concerted need" for more governmental and non- governmental cultural exchanges, noted Nalapat.

Voicing that China is strong in manufacturing and other fields while India, in services, Nalapat said the two countries should exchange their expertise and encourage more business contacts to promote their economies.

With an experience of 20 years in Chinese studies, Nalapat said he was initially "very hostile" towards China and his studies later on changed his mind.

Expressing his admiration for the 5000-year-long Chinese civilizations, he said he hoped that India and China can be "close friends," and he is trying to promote bilateral friendship between the two countries with such an admiration.

He invited some Chinese personalities to India last year to attend a conference he sponsored, believing that such exchanges are "beneficial."

Nalapat, who visited China last year, said that this is his third visit to China, aiming to have more discussions with Chinese friends.

During this visit, they discussed geopolitical issues broadly, added the scholar.

He said that he has witnessed China's tremendous progress during his tours in China, stressing that both India and China have had great changes in the last 20 years.

He noted that he would like to see "very close cooperation in all fields" between the two countries.






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