The China-India story has always been one of solidarity

Editor’s note: Decision Makers is a global platform for decision makers to share their insights on events shaping today's world. Xu Wei is the consul-general at the Chinese Consulate General in Kolkata, India. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily those of CGTN.

Last year, when I was back in China, I saw a lot of foreign delegations in Shanghai, the city where the Communist Party of China (CPC) held its first founding meeting in 1921. One of the delegations was from Italy. I asked them, why did you choose to visit this place instead of the popular sightseeing sites? They said they wanted to explore why the CPC was so successful, and this was the right place to understand that.

The CPC began with just over 50 members, born out of humanity's broader struggle for liberation. Today, it is a party of more than 100 million members, governing over 1.4 billion people and engaging with the world as a responsible global actor. Over the past 105 years, it has united and led the people of all ethnic groups across the country and fundamentally changed our nation's destiny. Under the Party's leadership, we found our own path – socialism with Chinese characteristics. In just a few decades, China completed an industrialization that took other countries centuries. We achieved the twin miracles of rapid economic growth and enduring social stability.

We have always tied China's rejuvenation to global peace and development. Today, the world is moving through changes unseen in a century – wars, disruptions, uncertainty. Against that backdrop, China continues to champion peace, development, and mutual benefit. We are advancing the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiatives – not as impositions, but as frameworks for equal partnership.

Between India and China led by the CPC, the story has always been one of solidarity. There have been twists in our bilateral relations, but good neighborliness and win-win cooperation remain the main theme. Together, we stood against colonialism. The Indian Medical Mission went to China to treat the injured during the Japanese War of Aggression and its doctors like Dwarkanath Kotnis and B.K. Basu are still spoken of with deep gratitude in China.

In 1950, India became the first non-socialist country to establish diplomatic ties with the People's Republic of China founded in 1949. In 1954, our leaders gave the world the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, an act of Asian statesmanship that shaped the postwar order.

Under the strategic guidance of their two leaders, China-India relations have continued to advance, underpinned by deepening people-to-people exchanges. For example, the Dragon Boat Race has become a global cultural event and an important window to learn about Chinese culture. Earlier this month, the Chinese community of Kolkata organized the Dragon Boat Race after a seven-year hiatus, demonstrating the charm of Chinese culture and the integration of Chinese and Indian civilizations. We look forward to working with friends from all sectors in India to advance the bilateral relationship, like a dragon boat forging ahead, along a sound and stable course.

In June, I attended the inaugural session of the Bengal Arts and Literature Festival 2026 in Kolkata. With art serving as a bridge and literature as a bond, we remain committed to fostering mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples, particularly among the younger generation, and to enhance the civilizational exchanges between the two countries.

In June, I also visited the Amity University Kolkata campus. Young people represent the future of the bilateral relationship, and the Consulate General stands ready to facilitate institutional exchanges and cooperation between universities. We are ready to support Chinese cultural events and Chinese language programs, so as to foster mutual understanding and friendship between the youth of both countries.

The vice-chancellor of Amity University Kolkata said India and China should strengthen exchanges and mutual learning and the university looks forward to collaborating with Chinese universities on joint research, faculty and student exchanges.

Also in June, an Indian artist and media delegation visited Kunming and Dali cities in Yunnan Province in south China, across the border of India, organized by the Chinese Consulate General in Kolkata. The visit facilitated in-depth cultural and artistic exchanges, provided an immersive experience of Yunnan's unique folk traditions, and gave a comprehensive picture of China's economic and social development achievements.

Deeply impressed by China's development achievements, the delegation members remarked that the visit not only deepened their understanding of the real China but also ignited their passion for fostering China-India friendship. They expressed their readiness to promote exchanges and mutual learning between the two ancient civilizations, contributing people-to-people strength to the sound and steady development of bilateral relations.

As two major emerging economies, China and India are key engines of global economic growth. The two economies are highly complementary, with great potential for cooperation in areas such as manufacturing, digital economy, and green development. In 2025, bilateral trade between China and India reached a record high, and China became India's largest trading partner once again.

Kolkata, in eastern India, is a vital gateway for China-India exchanges. Direct flights connecting Kolkata with Chinese cities such as Guangzhou, Shanghai and Kunming have further facilitated people-to-people exchanges. China hosts major trade platforms such as the China Import and Export Fair in Guangzhou, popularly known as the Canton Fair; the China International Import Expo in Shanghai, which is first import-themed national-level exhibition in the world; the China-South Asia Expo in Kunming, in which nearly 100 Indian businesses participated this year; and the China International Supply Chain Expo, the world's first national-level exhibition dedicated to supply chains. We welcome participation from Indian friends from all sectors.

China will continue to advance high-level opening up, encourage enterprises from both sides to deepen practical cooperation, and jointly safeguard the stability of global industrial and supply chains, injecting impetus into regional and global economic prosperity.

Both our civilizations are now at a decisive stage of national rejuvenation. If we act on the consensus of our leaders, reinforce each other's development, and jointly drive the modernization of the Global South, we can secure not just bilateral gains, but a more balanced, peaceful future for the world.

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