Date: 23 July 2019 PARLIAMENT OF RAJYA SABHA SECRETARIAT

PRESS RELEASE Parliamentary Delegation from China calls on Shri Harivansh, Hon'ble Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha. India and China are ancient civilizations with a long history of close contact between them says Shri Harivansh "Interactions and engagements between the parliamentary bodies of the two countries reflect the desire to develop stronger bonds with each other", says Shri Harivansh He stresses on "strengthening of people-to-people contact to provide sustenance of the ties of the two countries”

A delegation of Young Parliamentarians from China led by Mr. Qie Yingcai, Parliamentarian of the 13th National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China called on the Hon'ble Deputy Chairman (HDC), Rajya Sabha, Shri Harivansh in Parliament House today.

Welcoming the delegation, Shri Harivansh said that India and China are ancient civilizations with a long history of close contact between them. He added that being the two major powers, world's largest developing countries, and emerging economies, they were uniquely poised to contribute constructively to the changing international landscape.

Referring to bilateral relations, he said that India is committed to strengthen friendly and cooperative relations with China. He further said that despite twists and turns in global economic and political situation, India’s relations with China have made progress over the last three decades.

Referring to the visit of China's President Xi Jinping to India in 2014, India's Prime Minister visit to China in 2015 and the 1st informal Summit in Wuhan in April, 2018, Shri Harivansh said that such Closer Developmental Partnerships had been established, consolidated and provided a comprehensive platform for further strengthening of their bilateral ties. The last informal meeting in Wuhan was a milestone in their bilateral relations and India was looking forward to President Xi Jinping's visit to India for the 2nd Informal Summit to be held later this year. He expressed hope that this would be another milestone in bilateral relationship. He further said that India looked forward to continued engagement with China at all levels for further strengthening of bilateral relationship based on mutual trust and understanding and with due consideration to each other's concerns, aspirations and sensitivities.

Shri Harivansh said that since India accorded high importance to India- China relations, an India-China Parliamentary Friendship Group headed by Shri Ramen Deka of the was constituted for the 16th . He further said that he would recommend constitution of a new India-China Parliamentary Friendship Group at an early date in 17th Lok Sabha also.

Shri Harivansh also highlighted the importance of People-to-People contacts to provide sustenance of the ties of the two countries and this was an important consensus reached by Prime Minister Modi and President Xi Jinping during their Informal Summit in Wuhan last year. To implement this consensus, the first meeting of the High Level Mechanism (HLM) on Cultural and People-to-People Exchanges was held in New Delhi in December 2018.

He added that during the HLM meeting, the two sides discussed expanding cooperation across 'ten pillars' of cultural and people-to people exchange including cooperation in Cultural Exchanges, Media Exchanges, Films and Television, Museum Management, Sports Cooperation, Youth Exchanges, Tourism, State and City-level Exchanges, Traditional Medicine and Yoga. He also added that these discussions will be taken forward when India's External Affairs Minister will soon be visiting China for the 2nd Meeting of the High Level Mechanism for cultural and People-to-People Exchanges to be held next month.

The delegation led by Mr. Qie Yingcai thanked India for the warm welcome they had received in India. He informed that the main purpose of the visit of the delegation was to enhance the exchange of youth parliamentarians with the Indian counterpart. The delegation comprised of 8 young parliamentarians from China. Mr. Qie Yingcai expressed the hope that such exchanges would further strengthen the existing bonds between the two countries.