Despite the border conflict between the two neighbouring countries, India and China are set to celebrate 70 years of diplomatic ties with 70 celebratory activities in both the countries throughout 2020-2021.
The activities will demonstrate the historic connection between the two civilisations as well as their growing bilateral relationship, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement on Friday.
They will further deepen people-to-people exchanges between the two countries at all levels, including legislature, business, academics, cultural, and youth organisations, as well as the defence forces, as per the list of activities released by the Indian ministry.
The two sides will also engage in cooperative projects in studying ancient maritime links between India and China through the establishment of sister-state relations between the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and China's Fujian province.
China has not released any statement regarding the 70 activities between the two nations yet.
Relations between the two countries remain bitter-sweet. Recently, Prime Minister Modi withdrew from the China-led Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) in Bangkok on 4 November, citing China’s "uncompromising" stance on market access and non-tariff barriers.
On 15 November, the Chinese Foreign Ministry, while objecting to Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's visit to Arunachal Pradesh, said that Beijing would never recognise Arunachal Pradesh as belonging to India.
However, after the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to India in October, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that setting aside recent differences over Ladakh, India and China have decided to start a new chapter in their relationship with the "Chennai Vision".
India and China share nearly 2,400 miles of a loosely demarcated border. Both sides continually accuse each other of transgressing into the other's territory.
