Activities planned for India-China Friendship Year - 2006

{All proposals in bold will be undertaken jointly by India and China; rest are individual proposals, with facilitation from the other side.}

I. POLITICAL

1. Exchange of messages between Presidents and Prime Ministers to commemorate the Friendship Year.

2. Exchange of high-level visits.

II. DEFENCE EXCHANGES

3. Visit of Indian Defence Minister to China.

4. Continuation of defence exchanges at various levels.

5. Trans-border interactive visits and sporting activities between the two armies.

III. ACADEMICS AND PUBLICATIONS

6. Publication of "Across the Himalayan Gap: Volume II" as a joint endeavour between India International Centre (IIC) and Indira Gandhi Centre for National Art (IGNCA) on the Indian side and CASS/Beijing University on the Chinese side.

7. Bilingual publication of major India-China Bilateral agreements and MOUs till December 31, 2005.

8. Mutual translation of literary classics.

9. Workshop to be organized in both countries on education cooperation by major universities of both sides.

10. Exhibition of Indian books in China.

11. The book "Dr. Kotnis and Me" written by Mrs. Kotnis (Mme. Guo Qinglan) to be translated and published in India.

IV. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

12. Signing and operationalisation of MOU on India-China Steering Committee on S&T; Cooperation during the proposed visit of Indian Minister of State (S&T;) to China.

13. Exhibition of practical patented technology from India

V. CULTURE, SPORTS AND YOUTH EXCHANGES

14. Inauguration of the Indian-style Buddhist Temple in Luoyang

15. Inauguration/opening ceremony of the Xuan Zang Memorial in Nalanda

16. Visit of India's Minister of Culture to China

17. Visit of Chinese Government cultural delegation to India

18. Signing of India-China Cultural Exchange Programme for 2006-2008.

19. Reciprocal hosting of film festivals in each other's country and encouraging joint production of films.

20. Visit of Indian Classical Dance Troupes to China (Bharat Natyam/Kathak/Odissi).

21. Visit of Bollywood song and dance troupe to China.

22. Academic seminar on "India-China Cultural Exchanges" to be organized by the Centre for India Studies in Peking University or the China Institute of International Studies (CIIS), Beijing.

23. Organization of "Treasures of Ancient India: Exhibition of Indian Civilization".
or
Exhibition on "Journey of Buddhism from India to China"

24. Friendly exchange of sporting activities.

25. Exchange visits of youth delegations.

26. Release of commemorative first day covers or joint issue of stamps

27. Establishment of friendship cities between the relevant cities of both countries.

28. A TV documentary series named "Along the Footprints of Xuan Zang" to be produced by China's Central TV (CCTV).

29. Participation of Liaoning Peking Opera Troupe in India's National Opera Festival

30. Shaanxi Culture Week in India.

VI. TOURISM

31. Indian tourism seminar and road shows in China

32. Indian Food Festival in China.

33. Indian photographic exhibition in China by Chinese photographer(s)

34. Launching of Chinese language website by India's Ministry of Tourism.

VII. ECONOMIC AND COMMERCIAL

35. High-Level business seminar to be held in India and China jointly organized by FICCI/CII from the Indian side and CCPIT from the Chinese side.

36. Operationalisation of border trade through Nathu La by the summer of 2006.

37. "Made in India" Show in China.

38. Indian fashion show in China.

VIII. OTHERS

39. Eminent Persons Group (EPG) to come up with a set of fresh recommendations to promote relations based on deliberations in previous EPG meetings

40. Commemorative receptions to be respectively hosted by the two Ambassadors in each other's country.

New Delhi
January 23, 2006