Dear teachers, students and friends:

Good morning!

It gives me great pleasure to join you at the Camp No.1 High School in Solapur. I just visited the Dr. Dwarkanath Shantaram Kotnis Memorial with my Indian friends. I am deeply touched by Dr. Kotnis’ dedication of his best years and selfless love to China.

Eighty-six years ago, Dr. Kotnis went to China to support Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. He saved countless Chinese lives with his excellent medical skills, and trained many Chinese medical personnel. A friend in need is a friend indeed. The Chinese people never forget Dr. Kotnis, and we have been doing things for the development of Dr. Kotnis’ hometown for such a long time. Last year, the Chinese Consulate General in Mumbai and some Chinese enterprises upgraded the facilities for this school. We are ready to provide more assistance to the school and the students within our capacity.

Dear teachers, students and friends.

China and India have a long history of cultural exchanges and mutual learning. Along the ancient Silk Road, Chinese paper-making, silk, porcelain, and tea were brought to India. And Indian singing, dancing, astronomy, architecture and spices were introduced in China. There are striking similarities between Chinese Taichi and India’s Yoga, and between the traditional Chinese medicine and India’s Ayurveda. Chinese and Indian philosophies have a lot in common too. In China, Indian friends like Dr. Kotnis and Rabindranath Tagore are well-known and Indian culture such as Bollywood films and yoga is popular. In India, we are always impressed by Indian people’s interests in China and support for China-India relations.

The development of China and India reinforces each other. We are both ancient civilizations and are the two most populous countries in the world. Development is the greatest common goal of both countries. China is realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through the Chinese path to modernization. India has also put forward the vision of becoming a developed country by 2047. China wants to develop well for itself, and hopes India will develop well too. President Murmu told me that a good India-China relationship is important not only for the two countries, but also for the development and stability of the region and the world. She said that our two countries should strive to cultivate good neighbourly relations. China shares the same expectation.

Dear teachers, students and friends.

People-to-people friendship holds the key to state-to-state relations. The students here today are an important link between China and India. Only by strengthening exchanges between the young people of China and India, can the seeds of our friendship take roots and blossom. I hope that you will cherish your youth, study hard and contribute to the friendship between Chinese and Indian people.

Tagore said that the spirit of youth is a piece of jewel that turns iron into gold. Youth always goes hand in hand with dreams. Seeing is believing. You are welcome to visit and study in China. We hope that China will be the place where you can fulfil your dreams.

The Chinese poet Du Fu of the Tang Dynasty wrote in his poem that:  “try to ascend the mountain’s crest, it dwarfs all peaks under our feet”. It means that you must climb to the highest peak then you could see the lower mountains in front of you. China and India are close neighbors. If we only look through our own perspective, neither of us can get the whole picture of the Himalayas. Only if we stand high, can we look far with vision and conviction. I believe that the China-India relationship will definitely move forward along the sound and stable track. This must also be what Dr. Kotnis wished to see.

Thank you all!