India and China work well together internationally, especially on issues of global governance including trade and environmental issues. But the case of working together in global and regional forums where our interests coincide have not seeped into our bilateral relations which remain complex. It is hoped that interactions between Indian and Chinese think tanks can bridge these gaps between the smooth cooperation at the global and regional levels and improve cooperation in bilateral matters.
The India-China Think Tank Forum was established by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping during the Indian Prime Minister’s visit to China in May 2015, with a view to foster closer dialogue and mutual understanding between the two countries and to deliberate on contemporary issues of regional and international significance. It brought together thinkers, scholars, public policy analysts, foreign policy analysts, and other experts on international relations from each country to discuss bilateral and multilateral economic, political and strategic issues.
The Chinese delegation was led by Prof. Wang Weiguang, President of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS). It is the premier and the most comprehensive academic research organization in China for study in the fields of philosophy and social sciences and is central to policy making in China.
On December 7, Gateway House hosted the India-China Think Tanks Forum in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, and the Institute of Chinese Studies at Gateway Building, Mumbai.
The forum saw two roundtable discussions – one on Indo-Chinese cooperation on global economic governance and another on how India and China could steer global financial markets.
Several members from the diplomatic, academic, and think tank community from India and China were present. Institutions represented include Peking University, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Observer Research Foundation and others.