Understanding through Dialogue

Liu Zongyi

[Following the official meeting between the leaders of India and China in Kazan in October, 2024. Bilateral relations have gradually warmed up, albeit at a slow pace. As a long-term observer of India-China relations, the author believes that the current state of relations is normal.]

Since the author’s visit to India in November 2023, the Indian side has proposed that there should be enhanced think-tank and cultural exchanges between China and India, the reinstatement of direct flights between the two countries, and the relaxation of visa restrictions for Chinese nationals. To date, these proactive commitments by India have not been realised. The issues of direct flight and visas pertain to the economic interactions between the two countries, and India seems reluctant to strengthen economic ties with China. However, think tanks and cultural exchanges are crucial for enhancing mutual understanding and preventing misunderstandings and erroneous perceptions between the two nations. I have always advocated that China and India should strengthen mutual understanding through civilisation dialogue.

On March 15, 2023 President Xi Jinping presented a novel concept of the Global Civilisation Initiative and dialogue among civilisations at the High-Level Dialogue between the Communist Party of China and World Political Parties in Beijing. The Global Civilisation Initiative, akin to the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, represents a novel philosophy and concept on global governance put forth by Chinese leaders during a period of global turbulence and transformation. The diverse political systems, the development models, and religious cultures among countries of the East, West, and South-North contribute to the prevalence of contradictions and conflicts. China aspires to bridge the gaps between civilisations through equitable dialogue, fostering mutual understanding and inclusiveness among nations and civilisations. Through exchange and mutual and mutual learning, it aims to promote collective growth, progress and innovation. The Global Civilisational Initiative is not merely a macro-level concept addressing global governance and world peace; it also embodies specific strategies and pathways. “Respecting the diversity of world civilisations” constitutes the essence of the initiative, “promoting the common values of all humanity” is the core objective, “emphasising the inheritance and innovation of civilisations” is its practical approach, and “strengthening international cultural exchange and cooperation” serves as its implementation mechanism.

The rationale behind China’s proposal of the Global Civilisation Initiative is rooted in the historical experience of the development and growth of Chinese civilisation. The reason why Chinese civilisation has endured for 5000 years, creating the flourishing ages of the Han and Tang dynasties, and maintaining a long-term lead over Western civilisations, is primarily due to the dialogue and integration of civilisations. This encompasses not only the exchange and mutual learning among different civilisations but also the dialogue and fusion of diverse ideological schools within civilisation itself, reflecting the open and inclusive attitude of the Chinese people towards the outside world. During the Spring and Autumn and Warring states periods, the contending of a hundred schools of thought led to the unification and strength of the Qin and Han dynasties; from the Wei and Jin dynasties to the Sui and Tang dynasties, the spread of Buddhism and Persian-Arab culture helped to foster the Tang Dynasty’s flourishing age; during the Song and Ming dynasties, Confucian culture underwent a transformation towards Neo-Confucianism based on the absorption of Buddhist thought. Generally speaking, periods of openness in history have coincided with China’s periods of prosperity, while seclusion has led to China’s modern-day backwardness and vulnerability. China proposes to construct a “Chinese path to modernisation”. “Modernisation” is a process, and the Chinese path to modernisation is one of continuous improvement and development, requiring constant learning from the advanced experiences and practices of other countries.

Mutual Learning
The exchange and mutual learning among civilisations have been a common phenomenon in human history. Modern archaeological discoveries demonstrate that the Chinese civilisation grew and flourished through continuous interaction and mutual learning with other civilisations from the inception. Wheat, cattle, and sheep all originated from the Middle East. Conversely, millets and rice cultivated by ancient Chinese people also spread to other civilised regions. I was invited to participate in the” International Millet Festival” organised by the Indian Consulate General in Shanghai. The Indian Consul General proudly presented seven different varieties of millet to us Chinese scholars, noting that remnants of millet had been discovered dating back over 5,000 years to the Harappan civilisation, making it sound to the uninitiated as if millet originated in India. However, in reality, all the millet varieties they displayed can also be found in china, as China is the birthplace of millet. The cultivation of millet and broomcorn millet at the Cishan site in Hebei and the Xinglongwa site in Inner Mongolia dates back 8,000 years. It can be inferred that there were direct or indirect cultural exchanges between prehistoric Chinese and Indian populations before the arrival of the Aryans on the Indian sub-continent.

In ancient times, the Indian civilisation served as a primary subject of exchange and mutual learning for the Chinese civilisation, playing a profoundly positive role in the development and expansion of the latter. Numerous eminent Indian monks visited China to disseminate their teachings, while prominent Chinese monks such as Faxian and Xuanzaang travelled to India to acquire Buddhist scriptures. These historical narratives have become widely circulated.

Direct exchanges between ancient China and India facilitated the accurate understanding of ancient Indian thought and society by the Chinese ancestors, leaving us with historical classics such as “Records of the Buddhist Kingdom” and “Records of the Western Regions”, providing precise firsthand materials for modern people to understand ancient Indian history and society. Beyond direct exchanges, there were also indirect ones. After the Tang Dynasty, the Tamil region in southern India, during the Chola Dynasty, had virtually no direct political relations with the Song Dynasty. Many transactions between the two sides were conducted through the Samboja kingdom (also known as Sri Vijaya) located in present-day Sumatra. During this intermediary process, the status of the Chola Dynasty was deliberately downplayed by Seivijay, affecting mutual understanding and cognition as well as trade relations between the two parties. This situation still carries strong implications for today.

Bridging Information Deficit
To a large extent, the understanding and cognition between the elites and the public of China and India today still rely on the perspective of a third party, a situation that is more severe on the Indian side. On one hand, India denies entry to Chinese journalists and blocks genuine information about China. On the other hand, Indian social elites primarily learn about China through the West and its media, a situation that has significantly deepened the misunderstanding of the Indian public towards China.

Like China, India is a civilisation-state distinct from Western civilisation, and it aspires to become a global power, realising national rejuvenation and reviving ancient glory, which is understandable. However, to achieve its rise as a great power and revival of its civilisation, India should not adopt a strategy of joining forces with other major powers to contain China and replace its position in global supply chain. Instead, it should seek a path of mutual learning and common progress with China.

Asian Century
China and India are neighbours; they cannot be moved away. As Prime Minister Modi recently said in an interview with Lex Friedman, “If we look back centuries, there’s no real history of conflict between us. It has always been about learning from each other and understanding one another. Our cooperation isn’t just beneficial, it’s also essential for global stability and prosperity. And since the 21st century is Asia’s century, we want India and China to compete in a healthy and natural way. Competition is not a bad thing, but it should never turn into conflict. Instead of discord, we emphasise dialogue, because only through dialogue can we build a stable cooperative relationship that serves the best interests of both nations”.

[Courtesy: News From China. SpecialEdition@75. The author is the Director of the Center for South Asia Studies, Shanghai Institutes for International Studies. The views expressed are personal.]

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Frontier
Vol 58, No. 2, Jul 6 - 12, 2025