India-China to observe 70th year of diplomatic ties amid COVID outbreak
Amid the global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, India and China have decided to observe their 70-year-old ties.
The countries will kick off their much-planned celebrations to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations on Wednesday (April 1). The same day in 1950, India became the first non-Communist country in Asia to establish diplomatic relations with the Peoples Republic of China (PRC).
Both the counties have finalised an ambitious 70 celebratory activities, a host of cultural, religious and trade promotion activities round the year, besides military exchanges to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations.
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But all such event may not take place in the near future as both the countries were going through most difficult times dealing with the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 35,000 people worldwide.
While China made gradual efforts to open up as the coronavirus cases abated, India is currently under a 21-day lockdown to control the spread of the virus.
Official sources said while the implementation of the 70 events to celebrate the occasion may have to wait until the return of the normalcy, the event would be formally commemorated with the exchange of letters between Presidents of the two countries on Wednesday.
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The 70 events were finalised in line with the understanding reached by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping during their 2nd Informal Summit at Mamallapuram in Tamil Nadu on October 11-12 last year.
The Indian Embassy in China said the activities were aimed at demonstrating the historic connection between the two civilisations as well as their growing bilateral relationship over the years.
The events were planned to further deepen people-to-people exchanges between the two countries at all levels, including between their respective legislatures, businesses, academics, cultural and youth organisations as well as the defence forces.
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Considering the ancient trade links between Tamil Nadu and Chinas Fujian province, the two sides also planned to engage in cooperative projects in studying ancient maritime links between India and China through establishment of sister-state relations between Tamil Nadu and Fujian.
The activities included the two sides holding joint cultural performances at various border posts in China and India, visits of Indian naval ships as well as mid-level tri-service delegation of the Indian armed forces to China.
Events were also planned to conduct various activities to trace the civilisational links between the two countries. On the Business and Trade front, China planned to hold a China-India Trade and Investment Cooperation Forum in India.
