PRESS RELEASE
FIFTH ANNUAL CALCUTTA DIALOGUE ON “INDIA- PR CHINA RELATIONS: THE WAY FORWARD”
13 MARCH 2020 AT THE LALIT GREAT EASTERN HOTEL, KOLKATA
The Fifth Annual Calcutta Dialogue on “India-PR China Relations:The Way Forward” was jointly organized on 13 March 2020 by the Research Centre for Eastern & North-Eastern Regional Studies, Kolkata, (CENERS-K), a geo-strategic think tank created by former COAS Gen. Shankar Roychoudhury, and the Indian Chamber of Commerce, Kolkata. Many sponsors supported the event.The Calcutta Dialogue is held in March every year in culmination of a year of study, research and analysis of evolving India-PR China relations during this period to formulate policy recommendations and propose actions by stakeholders to continuously improve, deepen and diversify our links and engagements with PR China at every level and field of human endeavor to improve the state of our p[eoples and the planet.
The purpose of the event was to evolve a view of India-PRC relations from eastern and NE India, based on developments over the past year in our bilateral relations. The day-long event discussed geopolitical, bilateral, environmental, economic, trade and investment, educational, scientific, technological and P2P/B2B relations as well as possible ways of conflict resolution.
Participants in the Dialogue included Dr. Mohan Guruswamy, Rajya Sabha MP Hon. Shri Manish Gupta, former Ambassador to PR China Shri Ashok Kantha, eminent academics from NEHU, Manipur University, Vishwa Bharati, Calcutta and Jadavpur Universities as well as think tanks like ORF,CSIRD, KSAS, ICS, CPA as well as representatives of MEA, armed services, chambers of commerce and business associations as well as students and media. EAM could not attend owing to scheduling issues.
The Conference broadly recommended acceleration of dispute resolution processes with PR China, cooperation for development in international for a and global commons issues such as climate change, environment and renewable energy, linking of the Indian and PR China power grid at suitable points to augment Indian power availability at very competitive rates and focused engagement and intake of PR Chinese investment and technology in various sectors while ensuring protection of Indian interests in the long term, augmenting educational exchange and P2P links through travel and tourism, Indian States-PR China Province linkages and twinning and other measures necessary to achieve optimal development of the agreed 10 pillars of cooperation. Broadly the need was expressed for the Central and State governments to devote more resources to rapid development of the border areas, negotiate better market access for Indian goods and services to PR China and open more border trading points. At the regional level, more efforts need to be devoted to deepen and diversify links with the BBIN area.