INFOCUS | INDIA-CHINA | NEWS
NE HAO India
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ndia’s first Confucius Institute was opened at the Mumbai university campus in July this year in collaboration with the Tianjin University of Technology (TUT) in China. Confucius Institutes are the cultural and language education centers around the world which are sponsored by the Government of People’s Republic of China. With their presence in 93 countries, the 327 Confucius Institutes provide cultural awareness, training and language classes. In addition, they also provide scholarships for select students around the world to go to China for higher studies. It is reported that the Mumbai University has received $1,50,000 from China for setting up the Institute. A language exchange program is also on the agenda and China is seeking English teachers
Representatives attend the inauguration of the Confucius Institution at University of Mumbai in Mumbai, India. India's first confucius institute, jointly built by the University of Mumbai and China's Tianjin University of Technology.
in exchange for Mandarin teachers from China. Though it is the first Confucius Institute in India, Indians are not new to Mandarin classes. There are several educational institutions in India that teach Mandarin. For example, in 2009, the Vellore institute of Technology set up a Chinese language center in partnership with the Confucius Institute. The Institute also conducts a Chinese Proficiency Test. Last year, more than 100 people had registered for the course and the Office of Chinese Language Council International or Hanban had sponsored the top 20 students to travel to China.
Chinese SUV giant targets Indian market
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he Indian car market will soon have a Chinese company competing for spoils in the SUV segment, which has seen sustained growth in the country despite a general slowdown. Great Wall Motors, which is China’s largest Sports Utility vehicle (SUV) maker is planning to become the first Chinese auto company to directly enter the Indian market next year and is looking forward to showcase its wares at the earliest. It is widely anticipated that the company will enter the Indian market
|6| India-China Chronicle September 2013
next year and will become ‘the first bona fide Chinese company to come here’ as it sees great potential in the Indian SUV market. Though China’s largest auto maker SAIC has a stake in General Motor’s Indian subsidiary, but Great Walls Motors will be the first to make a direct entry. Great Wall Motors will compete with companies like Toyota, Mahindra, Mitsubishi, Tata, Chevrolet and Maruti for a pie of the SUV market.
Chinese citizens demand growth sans enviromental and health damage
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he 18th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee is likely to hold its third plenary session in November to discuss the introduction of comprehensive
reforms. The economy, which registered almost two –digit annual growth over the past three decades, is showing signs of declining. The economy witnessed a humble growth of 7.5 % in the second quarter this year. In the latest step of reform measures to revive growth, the State Council, China’s Cabinet, recently approved Shanghai to establish a pilotfree trade zone. This is done in a bid to further free up the economy. Since the Party assumed new leadership last November, a series of reform moves have been initiated to spur growth. Xinhua News recently quoted, China’s Financial Minister Lou Jiwei, “tax systems concerning business turnover, consumption, resources and property will continue to be reformed in order to promote economic development.” The growth measures , however, are marred with concerns over environmental degradation and health problems. Massive protests against construction of chemical projects are rising at multiple places across the country, indicating more people are seeking to block any growth that sacrifices the environment and public health. Taking these concerns into cognizance, finance minister Lou also said that China will impose its consumption tax to goods that could cause severe environmental pollution and over exploitation of resources. “The tax will also be applicable to more luxury goods,” he said.
SINO-INDIA holds talk on Central Asia Affairs
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ndia and China recently held their first official dialogue on Central Asia in Beijing during which the countries focused on their similar approaches on issues like counterterrorism, regional and energy security. The Indian Embassy in Beijing informed the media through a press release that the two-day talks were held cordially. The conversation included discussions on specific issues like “regional security and counter-terrorism, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, (SCO), energy security, development partnerships, and people-to-people contacts with the countries of the region.” “Both India and China are in the neighbourhood of Central Asia and have established close political and economic ties with the countries of the region,” the release said. “Both countries stated that strong relationships with the countries of the Central Asia region were an important priority in their foreign policy.” There were also talks between the two countries on the potential emerging centre of Afghanistan in reference to the planned pullout of US and NATO troops from the wartorn country by 2014 , which has sparked concerns over the likelihood of the return of the Taliban and al Qaeda.
China wants to set up industrial park in UP
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hina proposes to set up an industrial park in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh (UP) which will focus primarily on electronics. The project will be developed with the help of the UP State Industrial Development Corporation (UPSIDC), which has been approached by the Chinese Embassy in a bid to get 400 acres of land for the project. Kanpur, Allahabad, Lucknow, Moradabad, Noida, Greater Noida and Khurj are the potential places for the industrial park while India’s External Affairs Minister Mr. Salman Khurshid and Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang have been reported to have shown interest in such projects in general and this one in particular. In May, Mr. Khurshid stated that the industrial park could help balance trade between the two countries, which is presently in favor of China. The trade and commerce counselor at the Chinese Embassy, Namgya Khampa, has approached the UPSIDC in a bid to take the matter further. September 2013 India-China Chronicle |7|