Jiang Jianguo, minister of the State Council Information Office.

Editor's note:

The following text is the remarks made by Jiang Jianguo, minister of the State Council Information Office, at the opening ceremony of the Second India-China Media Forum on February 1, 2015.

Respected Minister Sushma Swaraj, Media friends from China and India, Ladies and gentlemen,

I am very glad to meet you in Beijing to discuss cooperation between and development of the media in China and India. First, I would like to extend my warm congratulations on behalf of the State Council Information Office of the People's Republic of China on the convening of this forum. I sincerely thank all of you for attending and would like to extend my warm welcome to Minister Swaraj and friends from the Indian media coming from afar.

During Chinese President Xi Jinping's first state visit to India last September, the leaders of both countries reached strategic consensus on a series of issues, making plans and pointing the way for the future development of bilateral relations, which indicates China-India relations have entered a new period of major-country relations. At this forum, media colleagues from both countries will focus on topics including "Chinese and Indian media's role in promoting bilateral strategic partnership at the new stage," "Media: key players in boosting bilateral economic cooperation," and "Growth of new media: opportunities and challenges for China-India media cooperation," which conform to the development trends of bilateral relations, comply with new requirements of our media cooperation, and have particular significance.

Ladies and gentlemen, China's former leader Deng Xiaoping once said that only when China and India have developed will a real "Century of Asia" emerge. Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru also said that when China and India join hands, Asia and even the world will take note. The older generations of Chinese and Indian leaders were foresighted, expressing the essence of China-India relations.

The people of China and India are close neighbors. We've had close contacts and exchanges since ancient times, have been through thick and thin in modern times, and have jointly undertaken the rejuvenation of our countries in recent times. Over the course of history, the Chinese and Indians both created the most ancient and glorious civilizations. Practice has proved that the towering Himalaya Mountains have never severed the attraction toward each other. More than two thousand years ago, an emperor of the Han Dynasty sent his envoy Zhang Qian to the West. When Zhang arrived in Afghanistan, he surprisingly found that cloth and bamboo poles from China's Sichuan Province had been transported there through India. Apparently, a passage from China to West Asia and South Asia had already been opened, and friendly exchanges between the Chinese and Indians have started. Chinese and Indian civilizations have benefited from each other through communication, and the benefits have been handed down from generation to generation.

In recent years, the two countries' destinies have been more closely related than ever. The Chinese and Indians have supported each other in seeking national independence and liberation. We have jointly pushed for the awakening of Asia. The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence jointly proposed by both countries have become an important norm of the current new type of international relationship. Both countries often speak with one voice in international or regional affairs to safeguard our common interests. Since the beginning of the new century, China-India relations have developed rapidly and have established a strategic partnership for peace and prosperity. China has become the largest trading partner of India. The two countries have made joint efforts to safeguard peace and tranquility along the border. We have also strengthened our strategic partnership within multilateral mechanisms including BRICS, G20 and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. China-India relations have become one of the most dynamic and potential bilateral relations in the 21st century. Just as President Xi Jinping said, the "Chinese Dragon" and the "Indian Elephant" have their own distictive features, but both value peace, fairness and justice; Just as Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, China and India are "two bodies with one spirit."

Currently, both countries stand at a critical stage of development. The Chinese are striving to realize the Chinese dream. The Indians are going all out to achieve their growth targets. Both countries have dreams of national rejuvenation. China would like to closely link the dreams of the two peoples and jointly pursue our dreams to make both countries strong and prosperous. In the autumn of 2013, President Xi, representing the Chinese Government, proposed the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road initiatives, hoping to boost the interconnectivity of countries along the traditional land and maritime Silk Road, to make our economies prosperous, our trade complementary, and our peoples' hearts connected. With the "Belt and Road" initiatives as wings, China wants to take off together with the countries involved.

Both history and reality have proved that friendly cooperation between China and India is beneficial to the people of both countries and countries all over the world. Harmonious coexistence, joint cooperation and common development between the "Chinese dragon" and the "Indian elephant" will create a better life for the 2.5 billion people in our two countries, bring prosperity to Asia and provide opportunities to the world.

Ladies and gentlemen, The development of China-India relations lies in the mutual understanding of our people. The media can promote our mutual understanding and friendship. In recent years, China-India relations have seen all-around development. Our mutual strategic trust has been enhanced. Our interests are increasingly interwoven. We've established exchange mechanisms such as strategic economic and financial dialogues. Our practical cooperation has expanded into more areas. All these are inseparable from the efforts of the media of our two countries.

Currently, China-India relations are entering a new period of overall accelerated growth. Bilateral cooperation faces new opportunities, which are also opportunities for the media in both countries to promote our exchanges and cooperation. I would like to make three suggestions:

First, the media in China and India should bear in mind the dominant direction of bilateral relations, which is characterized by friendly cooperation.  such circumstances, communication and cooperation between the media in both countries have been on the rise with increasing reports about the other nation. The media is an important channel for peoples of different nations to understand one another. If the media focuses on sensational and irritable topics of the other nation, audiences might be misled and form imbalanced and inaccurate understandings. It is not difficult for the media to spot our differences and disputes; however, the true value and responsibility of the media lie in finding out solutions to promote friendly bilateral relations. Both Chinese and Indian media should follow the general trend of bilateral relations, provide objective, accurate and comprehensive information to the public and clear up misunderstandings to present a true China and a true India to audiences from both sides.

Second, the media in both countries should report more on bilateral economic and trade cooperation. China and India face historical development opportunities. We are both emerging markets with different comparative advantages; we are powerful engines that contribute most to the Asian economic expansion; we are the most competitive production bases and the most attractive consumers in the world. With concerted efforts, bilateral trade, economic integration and connectivity have been enhanced with more cooperation in sight. I suggest the media of both countries add more "economic features" in their reports, for instance, reports on social and economic achievements of the other country, the improvement of people's lives, economic and trade cooperation between the two countries. In the meantime, we could tell more stories on China-India economic development to share with each other our respective experiences themed on "cooperation and development, mutual benefit and win-win." We could play a more constructive role in promoting regional economic integration.

Third, I suggest we actively expand new channels for media communication and cooperation, which is about to be in full swing. In September 2013, we successfully held the First India-China Media Forum in New Delhi and reached consensus on some issues. Quite a few Chinese provincial-level media have had dialogues with their Indian counterparts. There is a saying in China, "A meeting in person brings a closer bonding." This type of face-to-face communication can not only deepen understanding between our media, but also help our journalists to report on each other's country more directly, interactively and in a balanced way. We should at the same time build new platforms to explore more ways to strengthen trust while clearing up misunderstandings. Let me take this opportunity to suggest that we make the India-China Media Forum into a regular and permanent platform for the media from both sides to communicate and exchange ideas. Taking advantage of this forum, media professionals should increase exchanges of journalists, articles, and story ideas, and carry out joint interviews and new media exchanges. I propose setting up a China-India media young professionals' internship program to promote media cooperation to a higher level.

Ladies and gentlemen, China and India are neighbors. As an old Chinese saying goes, a good neighbor is more precious than the house and land a family owns. Friendly relations between China and India are the fortune of Asia and the world. The interweaving and mutual learning of the two civilizations will display new vitality. Complementary advantages of the two markets will unleash new potential. Our cooperation will create a win-win situation. Peaceful coexistence of the two developing nations will become the cornerstone of Asia's and the world's peaceful development. I sincerely hope that the media in both our countries join hands and look into the future, so as to make great contributions to the friendly relations between our two countries.

I wish the Second India-China Media Forum great success!

Thank you!

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