Lessons from China: Communist Party of China politburo member and Beijing CPC Secretary Liu Qi welcomes Congress president Sonia Gandhi in Beijing on Saturday.
Beijing: Describing the pace of change in China as “truly astounding and outstanding,” Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday said India had much to learn from China’s economic reforms and liberalisation.
In an address to the School of Public Policy and Management of Tsinghua University, organised by International Department of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC), Ms. Gandhi also spoke of “pragmatism and mutual self-interest” as the basis for the future development of Sino-India relationship, despite different views on bilateral and global issues.
Ms. Gandhi said the world today had recognised the Asian renaissance and the re-emergence of China and India, and the two countries must work and prosper together as the “world is big enough” to accommodate the growth and aspirations of both the nations.
“People in India admire the tremendous progress China has made since it began its economic reforms in 1978,” Ms. Gandhi said on the third day of her five-day China visit at the invitation of Chinese President and CPC General Secretary Hu Jintao.
China had shown the world how much could be achieved with pragmatism, clarity of vision and determination of effort, Ms. Gandhi said, while pointing out that India, too, had been evolving its economic policies in response to “emerging circumstances and challenges.”
“We are not merely catching up with the developed world; in the coming decades, China and India will be the largest and third largest respectively among the global economies,” she said.
As in China, India focussed on balanced economic development to ensure growth with social welfare and justice, she said.
Noting that both countries sought an open and inclusive world order based on the principles of ‘Panchsheel’, Ms. Gandhi said pragmatism and mutual self-interest offered “a sound basis for the future development of our relationship.”
“We may well have different views and different perspectives on both bilateral and global issues. That is only natural. I have no doubt, however, that there is no problem that cannot be sorted out through free and frank dialogue and discussion.”
Observing that much had changed in the bilateral relationship, she said the countries already had a definite perspective of the future course of their relationship.
“We must be guided by the vision that dialogue and partnership must be pursued with consistency and focussed effort,” she said, adding there was peace and tranquillity on the border and outstanding issues relating to the boundary question were being discussed in a comprehensive manner by the Special Representatives of the two countries.
Referring to the new ways being explored by both India and China to give greater impetus to commercial ties, Ms. Gandhi said more than trade, it would be investment that would bring the two countries together.
Underlining that the Sino-India ties went beyond commerce, she said it was a relationship between two civilisations rather than two trading partners or two nations.
“This is the framework that we need to revive ... I would say beyond the economic, we must strengthen our cultural ties.”
Ms. Gandhi also said educational institutions, media, tourism industries and business sectors of both nations should intensify their efforts to bridge the information gap “so that we no longer retain stereotyped images of each other.”
She called for more frequent interactions between the scholars and intellectuals and joint projects “which can become visible and powerful symbols” of bilateral cooperation. She identified the areas including education, public health, science and technology and local governance.
“I see only one possibility between our two countries — that of co-existence with cooperation.”
AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi, senior Congress leader Karan Singh, Union Ministers Prithviraj Chavan and Anand Sharma and India’s Ambassador to China, Nirupama Rao, were present at the lecture.
Sonia meets LiuMs. Gandhi also met Liu Qi, a prominent leader of China’s ruling Communist party, as she continued her interaction with the new Chinese leadership.
Mr. Liu, a member of the Communist Party of China’s powerful organ, Central Committee Politburo, told Ms. Gandhi that Beijing wanted to strengthen the strategic partnership with India, noting that both countries had a deep friendship and shared broad space for cooperation. — PTI
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