Kolkata’s Chinese consulate celebrated 75 yrs of Indo-China relations

KOLKATA: The Chinese Consulate in Kolkata celebrated the 75th anniversary of Indo-China diplomatic relations between China and India on Monday.
Speaking on the occasion, the consul general in Kolkata, Xu Wei, said, “Seventy-five years ago, on April 1, 1950, China and India established diplomatic relations. Over the past 75 years, China-India relations have advanced and traversed an extraordinary journey. Despite twists and difficulties, good neighborliness
and win-win cooperation have always been the main theme.”
The past 75 years have brought dramatic changes to both China and India, he said, adding that China has undergone huge transformation from poverty and weakness to prosperity and strength.
“China’s GDP grew from US $30 billion in 1952 to US $18.94 trillion in 2024, with its share of the world economy rising from less than 5% to about 17% today. China firmly holds the position of world’s second largest economy and serves as the main trading partner of over 140 countries and regions. The average life expectancy increased from 35 to 78.6 years. Scientific and technological innovation has gained great momentum,” the consul general said.
“These 75 years have witnessed the rapid development of India after shaking off colonial rule. In 1952, India accounted for just 3.8% of the world economy, but now it is the world’s fifth largest economy, maintaining a high GDP growth rate. India has become the world’s second - largest software exporter and a leader in the IT service industry. Bollywood films and Indian spices are world-famous, and the long-standing ancient relics, diverse religious cultures, and vibrant music and dance arts attract students and tourists from all over the world,” he said.
Xu Wei pointed out that in the last 75 years, China and India stepped onto the world stage together. “India was among the few major countries to establish early diplomatic relations with China. In 1954, China and India jointly advocated the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, which has a far-reaching impact, contributing oriental wisdom to the building of post war international order and the handling of state-to-state relations,” he said.
“Today, China promotes building a community with a shared future for mankind, while India proposed ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ meaning the world is one family’. This is consistent with China’s concept. As major developing countries and emerging economies, China and India play important roles in international and regional affairs, making significant contributions to global governance.”
The consul general said China and India are deepening exchanges and cooperation in economy, trade, culture and other fields. The bilateral trade in goods reached as high as $138.5 billion US dollars, “and many companies in our consular district have close economic and trade ties with China. The combined economic volume of the two countries accounts for half of Asia’s total and one-fifth of the world economy, making us crucial drivers of regional and global economic growth.”
A sound and stable China-India relationship is not only in the fundamental interests of the two peoples, but also of great significance to the development of Asia and the entire world, the consul general said.
“As President Xi Jinping pointed out that if we speak with one voice, the whole world will listen; and if we join hands, the whole world will pay attention. The successful meeting between President Xi and Prime Minister Modi in Kazan last October provided strategic guidance for the development of bilateral relations. The current China-India relationship stands at a new historical starting point. We are very pleased to see that Prime Minister Modi recently expressed in an interview that the 21^st century is the century of Asia, and good relations between the two countries are not just beneficial but also important for global stability and prosperity.”