Dear friends, 

Namaste! 

I am Qin Jie, from a Central and North province of China. I am deeply honored to assume office of Consul-General of the People’s Republic of China in Mumbai at such an important time juncture when we celebrate the 75th anniversary of China-India diplomatic relations. As two neighbors connected by mountains and rivers, our two great civilizations value similar thoughts like Unity of Human and Heaven and Community of Humanity in China, and Brahma-Atma-Aikyam and Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam in India. Looking back, we have conducted communications and maintained mutual learning for more than 2000 years. Following the common understandings between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at their meeting in Kazan in October 2024, China and India are currently taking people-centered steps to cement our ties in various areas. We firmly believe the Light of Asia will only shine when China and India shine together.

In our long history of interaction, such great figures as Fa Xian (Fa Hsien), Xuan Zang (Hiuen Tsang), and Ma Huan from China and Kumarajiva, Tagore, and Dr. Kotnis from India have made invaluable contributions to building our friendship and strengthening our bonds. Among these great contributors, I am proud to mention, Fa Xian was from my hometown. He visited India in AD 402 during the time of King Vikramaditya, studied Buddhism for 10 years, and after returning to China translated many Sanskrit texts into Chinese. His record of journeys Fo Guo Ji (Record of Buddhist Kingdoms) has been a key historical source for studying Buddhist culture. Tagore visited my hometown in May 1924, Dr. Kotnis worked in my hometown on the Indian Medical Mission sent by the Indian National Congress in 1938, and his beloved wife was from my hometown. Such connections make feel so proud and honored to work in Dr. Kotis’ hometown.

As far as I know, Maharashtra is one of the largest states in India in terms of area and population, and in the past years, it has risen to the top of the industrial production rankings, establishing itself as an economically advanced state. Karnataka is one of the key IT hubs of India and in the world. Therefore, my responsibility and primary goal is to enhance our deep-rooted friendship and strengthen our economic ties between various regions of China and Maharashtra and Karnataka. As a new member of the big Mumbai family, of course, my work will be based on my predecessors’ and my Indian friends’ joint efforts in a plethora of areas including business and trade, climate change, energy and food, green transition, and most importantly, people to people exchanges. I believe, in such a fascinating country widely known as the museum of languages, cultures and ethnicities, there are many wonders waiting for me to explore. I can’t wait to explore places like Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, Solapur, Nashik, Mysuru, Satara, Dharwar, Bagalkot, etc. 

In a nutshell, together with my colleagues, I will carry forward the spirit of Chini-Hindi Bhai Bhai, and work hard to boost the communication, cooperation, and friendship of our two peoples. Here, we cordially invite our Indian friends to study, work, or visit places of interest in China.

Bahut Dhanyavad!

Qin Jie

Consul General of the People's Republic of China in Mumbai

20th August, 2025