Consulate General of India

Shanghai

[Speech by CG during Reception hosted on the occasion of 72^nd Independence Day of India; 1800 hrs; 15 August 2018]

Hon’ble Mr. Gong Daoan, Vice Mayor of Shanghai Municipal People’s Government

Hon’ble Mr. K.V. Kamath, President of the New Development Bank

Madam Song Yan, Vice Chairperson of Foreign Affairs Commission, NPC, Shanghai

Mr. Wang Guoping, Vice Chairman of Study Group, CPPCC, Shanghai

Mr. Fu Jihong, Deputy Director General of Shanghai FAO

Madam Wu Haiyan, Vice Mayor of Lianyungang

Friends from Consular corps,

Other dignitaries from the governments of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai

Business leaders, Chinese friends, representatives of Indian companies and Members of Indian community,

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is my great honour and privilege to welcome you all to this event which marks the 72^nd Independence Day of India. As we celebrate this day, as a nation we take pride in many of our significant achievements, particularly those large scale social welfare schemes which has brought smiles on the faces of millions of Indians.

The previous year has witnessed continued positive trajectory in India - China relationship. The bilateral relations acquired particular momentum following the informal Summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping at Wuhan, early this year. The strength of bilateral relation is evident from the fact that the two leaders have met three times in as many months in this year.

On economic front,India has been ranked as the fastest growing major economy and has been an increasingly attractive investment destination for the whole world in general and for Chinese enterprises, in particular.The leadership and the people of India are working hard to achieve and maintain a transformative growth trajectory.

The people to people contact has further increased with steady rise in number of tourists visiting each other. India welcomes more and more Chinese tourists. In order to further strengthen the understanding of India among the Chinese people, the Consulate is going to organize an event to showcase various aspects of art, culture and tourism of India on September 1^st;you all are invited to come and have a feel of India.

The biggest attraction for Chinese people in India, apart from its natural and geographical diversity, is richness of Indian culture. Consulate in cooperation with Indian Association and Chaiti has taken a number of steps to bring more Indian cultural elements including dance and music performances to China. We are grateful to the vibrant Indian community for their continuous support.

The most powerful connect in modern times in China has been Yoga. Continuing the tradition of previous years, Consulate organized large scale yoga events in different parts of Eastern China region with the help of local governments and civil society at large, which were very well received. Another significant contributor towards bringing India closer to Chinese people has been the Bollywood films. It was a pleasant surprise to witness Indian films breaking box office records back to back, and breaking their own previous records. One of the main reasons of popularity of Indian films in China is that they appeal directly to Chinese heart.

When the present world order is increasingly defined by the re-emergence of countries like India and China; it’s natural that the world’s attention will shifts towards Asia. This throws new set of opportunities as well as challenges. It is in our shared interest to create an atmosphere which drives all forces towards creating a prosperous and inclusive society; and an equitable world order.

Ladies and Gentleman, may I now request you to join me in proposing a toast to the health, happiness and prosperity of the friendly people of India and China and to further strengthening of India-China relations.

Thank you.