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On 12 January 2016, the VIF held an informal interaction with Prof. Yu Longyu, Director of Centre for Indian Studies, Shenzhen University, China, focusing on the role intellectuals, especially writers and teachers, potentially can play in improving ties between China and India. While the interaction lay centered around literary communications between China and India, invariably it got intermingled with issues of conflict and cooperation. The interaction highlighted, among other things, while there exists a scope for far greater bilateral cooperation between China and India at many levels, the relationship largely has remained a hostage to an unresolved border dispute, leading both countries to view one another’s actions and motives with suspicion. Also, the bilateral relationship to some extent has been a victim of misperceptions, arising mainly from a general lack of understanding
and ignorance about one another. To that extent, the role of intellectuals, especially writers and teachers, as also media, was underlined in so far as managing people’s perceptions about each other is concerned.

It was also stressed during the interaction that China and India, two great civilizations, have a shared responsibility to maintain peace and security in the region and also work together for the common good of people in their respective countries. The interaction however pointed to a degree of maturity in the bilateral relationship, evidenced by the fact that unlike India-Pakistan border where border guarding forces regularly exchange fires, no bullet has been exchanged between the border guards of China and India for the last thirty years. The interaction succeeded in identifying specific areas in scholarly cooperation, with General Vij, Director, VIF, extending an offer for a memorandum of understanding to the Shenzhen University to carry out joint studies on mutually agreed subjects. The discussions were held in a frank and cordial atmosphere where both sides underscored the imperative to cooperate in as many areas as possible. With General NC Vij, Director, VIF, in the Chair, discussions were moderated by Ambassador TCA Rangachari, Distinguished Fellow. The panel that interacted with Prof. Yu Longyu included Lt Gen Ravi Sawhney, Mr. CD Sahay and Brig Vinod Anand, among others.