India and China

China and India should build on their historical fraternity and shared challenges. Joint initiatives — gender equity programmes to combat son preference, health collaborations to address health issues overlooked by the West and I.T. partnerships to employ youth — could yield mutual benefits. The elephant and dragon, once partners in peace along the Silk Road under legends like Kanishka,

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“Making the dragon and elephant dance is the only right choice,” says China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi as he extends a friendly hand to India to bolster the democratisation of global relations while strengthening the Global South. Wang’s words echo former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s famous quote, “Friends can be changed, but not neighbours”.

India and China share a border of over 3,000 kilometres, a cultural and spiritual history of over 2,000 years, and urgent common challenges — making their partnership not just strategic but essential.

One of the most profound links is Buddhism, which originated in India in the 5th century BC and spread to China by 67 BC. Indian scholars such as Kumarajiva and Bodhidharma played significant roles in shaping Chinese Buddhist traditions, while Chinese travellers like Xuanzang and Faxian visited India, documenting their experiences and facilitating deeper understanding between the two nations.

The Southern Silk Road, which connected Pataliputra (modern Patna) to Xi’an by the 2nd century BC, facilitated flows of goods, ideas and diplomacy, thus creating prosperity.

Kanishka, the Kushan emperor (127-150 AD), significantly influenced China through Silk Road exchanges. A key patron of Buddhism, his Fourth Buddhist Council promoted Mahayana teachings, which spread to China via missionaries and translated texts. Trade networks under his rule connected China to Central Asia.

Following their respective independence in the mid-20th century — India in 1947 and China in 1949 — both countries embarked on paths of nation-building and economic reforms.

Today, China and India face similar concerns, amplified by their status as the world’s most populous nations — India at 1.44 billion and China at 1.41 billion (2023 estimates).