PTI
SHANGHAI, MAY 16
Pitching for cooperation between India and China, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the two should together touch new heights of progress to eliminate poverty which will benefit the entire world as one-third of global population lives in the two countries.
Launching the Centre for Gandhian & Indian Studies at Fudan University here, he said India and China have historical and civilizational ties and they can together create a world that serves the humanity.
The Prime Minister, on the third and last day of his China visit, invoked Mahatma Gandhi and said solutions to the major crises of the present world -- terrorism and global warming -- lie in his teachings.
“It is said that 21st century belongs to Asia. One-third of the world population belongs to these two countries.
So if India and China work together to eliminate poverty, one-third of the global population will be rid of this problem which will be beneficial for the entire world,” Modi said addressing the students and faculty of the University in Hindi.
“Therefore, India and China should together touch new heights of progress involving sensitivity towards humanity and philosophy of Lord Buddha and experiments of Mahatma Gandhi so that we can give to the world a system which is dedicated to welfare of humanity,” he said.
Invoking Mahatma Gandhi, Modi said, “The world today is going through two major crises -- global warming and terrorism. Solutions to both lie in Gandhi’s teachings. Gandhi still relevant.”
“Mahatma Gandhi may have been born in a corner of India but he was a global citizen,” Modi said, adding that the apostle of peace could have shown the way out of the crises that the world is going through today.
At the event where a Chinese student recited Sanskrit ‘shlokhas’, Modi said the basic philosophy of India has been to let knowledge come from all directions.
“There is no east or west for knowledge.
It is global.
Any kind of knowledge benefits the humanity,” he said and referred to Gita’s teachings which says that one should keep working without bothering about results.
The Prime Minister then noted that both India and China have been seekers of knowledge and referred to the great Chinese traveller Huein Tsang who had come to India centuries ago.
“If we see history of India and China, both were seekers of knowledge, people in both the countries used to take pain to acquire knowledge,” he said.
Talking about Huien Tsang’s travels, he highlighted how much risk used to be taken for knowledge.
“It is easy to open doors for business and tourists. But to open doors for knowledge, requires lot of inner courage because of fears that some other knowledge may influence us,” Modi said.
He said while relationships based on economy benefit the current set up, ties based on knowledge benefit ages.
Narendra Modi arrives in Mongolia on historic visit
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today arrived here on his historic visit to Mongolia to hold talks with the country's leadership to bolster economic and trade cooperation, including in transport, highways and energy sectors.
The Prime Minister's two-day visit is taking place in the backdrop of celebrations of the 25th year of democracy and 60 years of diplomatic relations between India and Mongolia. On the second leg of his three-nation tour, Modi will meet Mongolian President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj to strengthen bilateral cooperation in diverse areas like shipping and logistics, transport, highways and electric power development in new energy industries. Modi's visit, the first-ever to this country by an Indian Prime Minister, will also see the two sides inking a Double Taxation Avoidance Convention.
A rare honour is being bestowed on Modi as the Mongolian Parliament will for the first time allow a foreign leader to address the members on Sunday, a holiday. After his address, Modi will meet President Elbegdorj, who will also host a banquet in his honour.
The visit will also see the laying of foundation stone for the Information Technology Centre. The Prime Minister would tomorrow have the first stop at the Gandan Monastery where he will gift a Bodhi Tree sapling to the Chief Abbott.
Later, he will hold talks with his Mongolian counterpart Chimed Saikhanbileg on a wide range of bilateral, regional and global issues.
The two sides are expected to sign an agreement on cooperation in the field of application of nuclear technology for cancer cure in the National Cancer Centre of Mongolia.
India is gifting the centre a Bhabhatron, the indigenous machine developed by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre successful in cancer treatment.
Another agreement will be signed for cooperation in solar and wind energy. The two sides are also expected to step up cooperation between the two National Security Councils, cyber security, border management, culture, air services, animal health and diary, besides training of diplomats.
India has a strong linkage of Buddhism and democracy with Mongolia and was the first country outside the Soviet bloc to establish diplomatic relations with it.
India feels that there is excellent potential for cooperation with Mongolia in the minerals sector. Mongolia is mineral-rich country in coking coal, copper, rare earths and uranium.
India already has a civil nuclear agreement with Mongolia which provides for uranium exports to the country once the domestic laws here permit prospecting and mining.
