Ambassador Latha Reddy,  

dear friends, 

Good afternoon and Namaste! 

It is my great pleasure to be here to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore’s historic visit to China.  

Just now, together with Amb Reddy, I read carefully the old photos of his visit to China and the letters between him and his Chinese friends. In between the shades and the lines, it occurs to me there is a strong empathy between China and India. This empathy is so deeply rooted and commonly shared that it could draw all of us together again after a whole century. 

One hundred years ago, China and India were in the bloody fight against foreign invasion and colonialism. We gave to each other strong support during this arduous struggle for national liberation and independence. Tagore Ji actively supported Chinese people when we needed a friend indeed the most. He wrote letters to the Japanese, fiercely criticizing Japan's invasion of China. He said “China is unconquerable, her civilization has endless potential, and her people, with their unconditional loyalty to the country and unprecedented unity, are creating a new century for that country.” Another great Indian friend, Dr. Kotnis, even came to China and fought side by side with his Chinese comrades until sacrificing his life.  

Here are the words of Tagore that touch me the most,“I always feel that India has been one of China’s extremely close relatives, and China and India have been enjoying time-honored and affectionate brotherhood.”  

100 years has passed and the world has changed a lot. Today, facing the profound changes unseen in a century, China and India are having the privilege of maintaining healthy economic development and social stability. We should be proud of that. We should also have fully justified reasons to believe Tagore Ji, Dr. Kotnis, Mr. Tan Yunsan and their friends in both China and India would be consoled if they could see what we are seeing today.  

My dear friends, may I ask such a question? When situations were harsh, we were so empathetic towards each other. Now, when things are getting better, is that empathy still alive? I believe the answer is YES. In 2023, my colleagues worked around the clock and issued nearly 50,000 visas for people from our consular district. At the same time, bilateral trade between China and India has reached a record high of $136 billion and is continuing to grow. 

More important than that, China and India, with a combined population of one third of the world total, have no reason not to go side by side on the way to achieve the great rejuvenation of each of our great nations and build a community with a shared future for mankind. As President Xi Jinping put it, “the Chinese Dream and the Indian Dream are closely linked and mutually compatible”. 

There is a famous old Chinese saying,“大道不孤”， " We are not alone on the Great Way". There is also a famous old Indian saying "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam", “the world is a family”. As the two largest developing countries, we should hold in our heart, dearly and deeply, the empathy that bound our ancestors so close.   

Ladies, gentlemen and dear friends, 

For thousands of years, China and India have engaged in continuous and reciprocal exchange of culture and commerce. We fought together and worked together. We jointly upheld the Panchsheel, which is now a commonly accepted international norm.  

I am not saying that between us, there is only friendly cooperation without difficulties. But I firmly believe that China-India relations should not and will not remain at a low ebb for long.  

I would like to quote my favorite line of Rabindranath Tagore, "If you shed tears when you miss the sun, you also miss the stars".  

Now, it is our time, and the responsibility is on our shoulder. I hope and I also believe our two peoples, especially the young generation, will carry forward the great spirit of Tagore Ji, Dr. Kotnis and Mr. Tan Yunshan.  

As for our Consulate General, we have been trying our best and will continue to enhance the bilateral friendship between China and India. Here is my sincere invitation, when you are in Mumbai, please do spare your time and have a sit in our office. 

Thank you for listening.