‘Need for Indians-Chinese to learn each other’s language’
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Monday asked Indians and Chinese to learn each other's language as it will help them overcome communication barriers, resulting in further strengthening the relationship between the two nations.
Swaraj, who is on a visit here, made the remarks during a programme, titled 'Contribution of Hindi in IndiaChina Friendship', organised by the India Embassy.
"When two friends sit together, what do they want? They want to talk their hearts out to each other, share what they feel. And for that we need a language. I should be able to understand Chinese when you speak, and you should be able to understand Hindi when I talk," Swaraj said.
"If there is an interpreter sitting between two friends, he may be able to translate the words but not the feelings with which I say something. So, it is essential that we learn a language, and understand it," she said, a day after it was announced that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping would hold an informal summit from April 27 to 28. "I want to say that the way India and China's relation are strengthening, trade is increasing, we are working together on international forums, it has become increasingly important that you learn Hindi and we learn Chinese. So that when Indians visit China they don't face difficulty, and when Chinese visit India, you don't require an interpreter," Swaraj said.
Swaraj said during her meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Sunday, she had told him that people are the biggest strength for any foreign minister and when people of two countries love each other, it only strengthens the governments.
"And this, your love for Hindi... You may not be aware that two foreign ministers can't strengthen the relations between Indian and China as much as these students learning Hindi can. You (students) all are doing great service (to the two countries)," she said.
Meanwhile, China on Monday dismissed as "baseless" the reports that it will militarise Sri Lanka's southern port of Hambantota, saying the facility was part of Beijing's "pragmatic cooperation" with Colombo for economic development.