The Chinese Consulate in Kolkata hosted a grand reception on Tuesday to celebrate Chinese New Year and the Year of the Snake. The event also carried special significance as 2025 marks the 75th anniversary of China-India diplomatic relations.
In his speech during the occasion, Chinese Acting Consul General Qin Yong said that China is in favour of strengthening bonds with India.
Representing the Chinese Consulate General, Qin Yong extended New Year wishes on behalf of Consul General Xu Wei and expressed gratitude to the attendees. In his speech, he highlighted the revitalisation of China-India relations over the past year, crediting critical diplomatic advancements and cultural exchanges.
“President Xi Jinping met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and reached an important common understanding on improving bilateral relations. China-India relations have restarted and set off again,” Qin Yong said in his speech.
He added, “China-India economic and trade cooperation continues to deepen, while cultural exchanges flourish. We also jointly commemorated the 100th anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore’s visit to China. Additionally, Chinese scholars came to West Bengal for the first time after pandemic, to experience the Durga Puja.”
The Acting Consul General emphasised the importance of 2025 as a milestone year in China-India relations and urged both nations to continue efforts to build on the vision of friendship and collaboration laid out by their leaders.
The Indian and Chinese militaries have been locked in an eyeball-to-eyeball stand-off since May 2020. However, a breakthrough came in October 2024 when the government said that India and China had arrived at an agreement to resume patrolling along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh “leading to disengagement”.
The border standoff between India and China, which began in 2020 in eastern Ladakh, was triggered by Chinese military manoeuvres. This confrontation resulted in prolonged tensions, severely impacting bilateral relations.