Can cultural exchanges fix ‘ambiguity and uncertainty’ in China-India ties?

Chinese expert on South Asia says the regional powers, long plagued by border disputes, should work harder to bridge perception gap

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Indian and Chinese troops greet each other along their disputed border on October 31 to mark Diwali, a major festival in India. Photo: AFP / Indian Army

Published: 7:21pm, 23 Dec 2024Updated: 7:41pm, 23 Dec 2024

China and India should work harder to promote exchanges and bridge the perception gap between two countries, according to a leading Chinese expert on South Asia.

Zhang Jiadong, director of the South Asian Studies Centre at Fudan University, said the level of people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and India lagged “far behind”, considering the strength and international status of the two Asian powers.

This has resulted in “ambiguity and uncertainty” in their understanding of each other, Zhang said in an article published in the Global Times on Monday.

“This problem needs more frequent people-to-people and cultural exchanges to alleviate it,” he wrote.

The academic noted that after years of tensions as a result of conflicts along their disputed Himalayan border, a lack of robust exchanges between China and India had contributed to misunderstandings – exchanges that were vital for fostering mutual trust.

Zhang’s commentary came as he and other Chinese scholars, including those from the Tibetan Academy of Social Sciences, wrapped up talks with a delegation from the India Foundation – a think tank affiliated with India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party – in China’s Tibet autonomous region.