New Delhi: In a bid to improve the public image of China that has taken a beating in recent months due to Beijing`s diplomatic postures, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao will visit a school in the Indian capital when he comes here next week to project the country`s soft power to the younger generation.
Wen will begin his three-day trip to India with a visit to the Tagore International School at Vasant Vihar Dec 15. He will informally interact with schoolchildren where he is expected to tell them about Chinese culture, tai-chi and calligraphy, informed sources told reporters.
He is also expected to announce at the school about China`s decision to provide textual and audio-visual material to Indian schools to help teach Mandarin, a proposal floated by Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal when he visited China recently. He is also likely to declare that China was ready to send teachers to teach Mandarin to India if India wanted, said the sources.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has already announced plans to introduce Mandarin Chinese as a foreign language in its 11,000 affiliated schools from Class 6 onwards next year.
Tagore School has an ongoing exchange programme with a Chinese school whereby Indian teachers impart lessons to Chinese students in yoga through videoconferencing and Chinese teachers teach Indian students about calligraphy.
During Wen`s visit, his second to the country, the two sides will focus on ironing out a host of irritants that has clouded bilateral ties like stapled visas for Indian citizens of Jammu and Kashmir and Beijing`s massive investment in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir that New Delhi sees as an inimical move.
Tagore School has been chosen for the premier`s visit due to the enduring Chinese fascination with Nobel laureate poet-philosopher Rabindranath Tagore. In a recent poll by Global Times, a Chinese daily, Tagore was voted as one of two Indians (that included Jawaharlal Nehru) who have influenced the Chinese the most.
During her visit to China in May, President Pratibha Patil unveiled a bust of Tagore in Shanghai. Another bust of Tagore can be seen at the Peking University in Beijing.
The Chinese were keen to include a visit to the school by the premier as the powers-that-be in Beijing thought this would be a good step to dispel the notion of rivalry and confrontation between India and China among impressionable schoolchildren.
The idea is to create a positive image of China in the new generation which will be leading India in the next 10-20 years, a source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
When he last came to India in 2005, Wen had visited Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) where he spoke about youth exchanges to promote better understanding between the two countries.
Wen will amplify on the theme of India and China as a partners and not rivals in his address to the Indian Council for World Affairs Thursday.
The cultural diplomacy will also be in spotlight when Wen and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will participate in the closing ceremony of the Festival of China in India at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium Thursday evening.
Says Srikanth Kondapalli, a China expert at Jawaharlal Nehru University" "It`s time to scale up youth exchanges as they are a good way to build better understanding, specially between India and China. There hasn`t been much on this front so far."
IANS
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.