Press Release: Indian Youth Delegation's visit to China 08/20/2015

Press Release: IndianYouth Delegation's visit to China

1. A 200-member delegation of Indianyouth led by Mr. Rajeev Gupta, Secretary (Youth Affairs) is currently visitingChina at the invitation of the All China Youth Federation as part of theannual calendar of bilateral exchanges.

2. This afternoon, Mr.Rajeev Gupta had a meeting with Mr. He Junke, President of the All China YouthFederation during which they undertook a review of the programme of exchange ofyouth delegations. They agreed that the programme had been useful incontributing to the broad-basing of people-to-people ties between the twocountries.

3. Mr. Rajeev Guptainformed Mr. He Junke about the recent decision of the Government of India toextend the regime of e-tourist visas to Chinese nationals to facilitate travelto India for recreation, site-seeing, casual visits to meet friends orrelatives, short duration medical treatment or casual business visits andrequested All China Youth Federation to encourage Chinese youth to start travellingin large numbers to India. He extended condolences for the loss of preciouslives to the blasts in Tianjin.

4. In his remarks, Mr. HeJunke underlined the importance of youth exchanges and noted in particular thefact that this was the first visit under the expanded programme of 200 memberdelegations that was agreed during the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping toIndia in September 2014 and re-affirmed when Prime Minister Narendra Modivisited China in May 2015.

5. The Indian youth delegationcomprising young professionals, students, scholars, athletes, artists andrepresentatives from civil society organizations and political parties as wellas officials from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports will be visiting Beijing, Xian, Guangzhou,Hangzhou and Shanghai from 20 to 27 August 2015. During the course of the visit, the delegation will attendofficial meetings with Chinese Government, visit industry and commercialbodies, media organizations, infrastructure projects, besides places of culturaland historical significance.

6. It may be recalled that during thevisit of former Chinese President Hu Jintao to India in November 2006, bothsides agreed to launch a five-year programme for mutual exchange of youthdelegations. Beginning 2007, both countries have been exchanging 100-memberyouth delegations on reciprocal basis every year. Later, during the visit of formerChinese Premier Wen Jiabao to India in December 2010, the two sides agreed tocontinue youth exchange activities for the subsequent five years. As notedearlier, recognizing the significance of youth exchanges in increasing mutualunderstanding, both sides agreed during the visit of Chinese President XiJinping to India in September 2014 to continue with the annual exchange of 200 youthfrom the years 2015 to 2019. This understanding was re-affirmed when PrimeMinister Narendra Modi visited China in May 2015.

Beijing
(20 August 2015)