22 September 2011

Young Friends,

Good afternoon.

When I was visiting India last December, Prime Minister Singh and I decided to make the year 2011 the "Year of China-India Exchange" and I extended invitation to 500 Indian youth to come visit China. Today I am very happy to see you here in China as we previously agreed. On behalf of the Chinese government and people, I wish to extend warm welcome to you, and also take this opportunity to say a few words from the bottom of my heart.

We are gathering here today at this event called "A Grand Stage for China-India Youth Traditional Culture Exchange". It is very meaningful to start youth exchange with traditional culture. The good-neighborliness of China and India is "created by heaven and constructed by earth". The Chinese civilization, which originates from the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers, and the Indian civilization, which originates from the Ganges and Indus Rivers, are known as the two crown jewels of human civilization and they started their intermarriage since the very beginning. Over thousands of years, the two civilizations have reinforced and added radiance to each other, and have profoundly shaped the course of human civilization. Indian people believe that the Ganges is a river from Heaven to Earth, and in China there is a similar verse that "the water of the Yellow River flows down from Heaven". Tai Chi, calligraphy and tea art of China and Yoga, music and dances of India are all treasures of our traditional culture. Although of different cultural forms, they all give expression to the beauty of nature, harmony and inclusiveness. My young friends, while you learn about other's traditional culture, I hope you will also try to appreciate and inherit the very spiritual essence they carry and become good friends and good partners that respect each other and progress together.

China and India have similar national conditions and history, and both face common development opportunities and severe challenges. As two great neighboring nations, we have both given birth to splendid civilizations and suffered enormous trials and tribulations in history. Now we are both at the crucial stage for development and rejuvenation. It is our shared mission to seize the opportunities, accelerate development and jointly meet challenges to embrace a better future. As two of the world's most populous and fastest growing developing countries, China and India, by working together, can bring benefit to people not only in our two countries but also in Asia and beyond. Young people with vision and ambition should understand the strategic importance of China-India relations, develop a firm conviction in peace and win-win cooperation, draw courage and wisdom from our rich history and traditional culture, and endeavor to make our countries better places through creative and hard work.

We have here today university students, engineers, farmers, entrepreneurs, artists and government officials, who represent the very driving force behind the all-dimensional exchange and cooperation between China and India. I hope all of you will contribute to China-India friendship and cooperation on your respective posts and in your own areas. The young people of China and India have the responsibility and ability to live up to this shared mission. The future of China-India relationship is in the hands of young people. I believe when the young people of China and India work hand in hand and progress side by side, the sky above Asia will be more glamorous and the future of the world even brighter!

I wish all of you a pleasant and memorable stay in China. Thank you!