CPC invokes Tagore, Beijing signals intent to deepen ties
The Statesman | 3 December 2025
Beijing’s recent political conclave has found an unexpected reference point in Rabindranath Tagore. The Chinese Communist Party (CPC), during the Fourth Plenary Session of its 20th National Congress, invoked Tagore’s evocative remark describing India and China as “intimate relatives,” using it as a symbolic bridge to signal renewed intent to strengthen bilateral relations.
This indication came from Xu Wei, the Chinese Consul General in Kolkata, today, who said that China is keen to advance cooperation with India at a crucial juncture for both nations. According to him, the plenary session, held a month ago in Beijing, approved the proposal for China’s 15th Five-Year Plan, a development blueprint that not only charts China’s direction for the coming five years but also opens “new windows of opportunity” for India. Xu emphasised that China and India, two ancient civilizations, stand today at pivotal points of national rejuvenation. “China is advancing comprehensive national renewal through Chinese-style modernisation, while India is moving toward its ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’ vision. Development is the strongest common ground between us,” Xu observed.
The Consul General cited Tagore’s century-old sentiment, recalling the poet’s assertion that India and China have historically shared a deep civilisational closeness. The 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties, he said, reflects that cooperation has remained the principal thread of the bilateral relationship. “The dragon and the elephant moving together can bring stability and progress not only to Asia but to the world,” he added, stressing the consulate’s commitment to fostering closer ties in eastern India. Xu highlighted China’s achievements under the ongoing 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021–2025). He attributed China’s economic rise to the CPC’s centralised leadership and its long tradition of “planning that is carried through with consistency,” quoting President Xi Jinping’s observation that the core objective of all Five-Year Plans—from the first to the fourteenth—has been building a modern socialist nation.
Xu further noted the complementary strengths of the two economies: China’s manufacturing and infrastructure capacities, alongside India’s IT and pharmaceutical prowess, could drive joint progress in the new wave of industrial transformation. People-to-people exchanges, he said, have also intensified with the resumption of direct flights, easier visas, and the reopening of pilgrimage routes. The Consul General underlined that China and India will continue working together in multilateral forums such as BRICS, SCO, and the G20 on challenges ranging from climate change to food security and global health—an area where he believes cooperation “will only grow stronger” in the coming years.