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24 Feb, 2012

India, China Boost Youth Exchange To Build Friendship, Mutual Understanding

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Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, 24 February, 2012 – A 500 member Chinese Youth Delegation will arrive in New Delhi on 25 Feb on a nine-day visit as a part of Indo-China Youth Exchange Programme. The exchange programme involves interaction with local youth, visits to tourist and cultural sites and introduction to economic and social activities. It also includes exchanges with students and faculty members, meetings with economic and political personages and interactive sessions covering different streams such as culture and sports.

The delegation will be led by Ms. Luo Mei, Secretary, Secretariat Central Committee, Communist Youth League of China. During their stay in Delhi, the delegation will call on the President of India, senior government ministers and also visit historical places in Delhi and travel to Agra to see the Taj Mahal.

From 28 February onwards, the delegation will be divided into six separate groups. Each group will then visit one of the six locations, namely, Mumbai and Aurangabad (Maharashtra); Trivandrum (Kerala) & Bengaluru (Karnataka); Jodhpur & Jaipur (Rajasthan); Patna, Bodh Gaya & Rajgir (Bihar); Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh); and Kolkata (West Bengal). Each group will leave for China on 4th March, 2012.

During his visit to India from 15th to 17th December, 2010, Chinese Premier His Excellency Mr. Wen Jiabao informed that the year 2011 was designated as year of “India China Youth Exchange” and subsequently the number of delegates in the Exchange Programme was increased from 100 to 500. The current visit by Chinese delegation is a reciprocal gesture to a 500 member Indian Youth delegation visit to China from 20th to 29th September, 2011 led by Shri Ajay Maken.

PREVIOUS VISITS

The First 100 member Indian Youth Delegation visited China from 8th to 17th October, 2006 followed by return visit of 100-member Youth delegation from China from 20th to 29th Nov 2006. Similarly, in 2007 , 2008 , 2009 & 2010 the Indian Youth Delegations visited China followed by return visit of 100-member Youth delegations from China to further foster and enhance the continued youth-to-youth contact between the two countries and consolidate our long-standing bilateral relation over 60 years.

BACKGROUND

During the visit of Chinese Premier, Mr. Wen Jiabao, to India in April 2005, it was decided to launch regular youth exchange activities between India and China. This agreement has found reference in the Joint Statement of April 11, 2005 signed by the two Prime Ministers which announced the launching of regular youth exchange activities between India and China. India and China decided to make 2006 as the “India China Friendship Year”. Thus, this historic event marked the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and India.

Further, in the Joint Declaration issued during the visit to India from November 20th -23rd, 2006, the Chinese President, Mr. Hu Jintao, stated that the two sides agreed to launch the five year programme for mutual exchange of youth delegations.