President Li Xiaolin of the CPAFFC Presides over the Ceremony

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Indian friendly groups and individuals and conferred the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence Friendship Award on them on 19th in New Delhi, for upholding the China -India friendship cause over a long period of time.

The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence Friendship Award was conferred on the representatives of the Dr. Dwarkanath Kotnis family, the Dr. Dwarkanath Kotnis Memorial Committee, the Department of Chinese Language and Culture (Cheena Bhavana) with the Visva-Bharati University, as well as the India-China Friendship Association. Dr. Jyoti Mohapatra, secretary general of the Friends of China Society, and Dr. Mohan Reddy, secretary general of the Andra Pradesh Chapter of the India-China Friendship Association, were also granted the award. President Xi Jinping spoke highly of the important contributions the awardees have made over a long period of time to the China-India friendship, and paid tributes through them to Indian friends from all walks of life that have dedicated to bilateral friendship .

Recalling the touching stories of Dr. Kotnis and Rabindranath Tagore, Xi said that their persistent pursuit of and selfless dedication to China-India friendship are really admirable. Xi pointed out that, China and India are two ancient civilizations that enjoyed friendly contacts over thousands of years, two important neighbors that have helped each other in realizing national independence, two big developing countries that together initiated the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, two great nations that have been dedicated to the goal of national development and people’s prosperity. It is a great and noble cause to carry forward China-India friendship, which contributes to contemporary times and benefits the future .

Xi stressed that the aim of my visit to India is to carry forward friendship and promote cooperation. I’ve made it clear to Indian leadership and people of all fields that the Chinese people hope that two peoples will be eternal friends and partners for common development, who help each other on the path toward national rejuvenation. And I believe it is also the aspiration of the Indian government and people. Mr. Banerjee, dean of the Cheena Bhavana, spoke on behalf of all awardees. He introduced the founding of Cheena Bhavana by Tagore, and its long-time dedication to India-China friendly exchanges. He thanked President Xi for conferring on them the Friendship Awards and echoed Xi''''s words by saying that they will continue to make contributions to the India-China friendship.

Among them was the younger sister of late Dr. Kotnis, 93-year-old Manorama Kotnis, who sits in a wheelchair and came to New Delhi from Mumbai specially for the event. She said her family found it very touching that the Chinese government and people still think of Dr. Kotnis and his relatives. The Kotnis family will carry on the doctor''''s spirit and contribute more to the India-China friendship cause, she added.

President Xi conferred on these individuals and groups the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence Friendship Award, and congratulated on them being the first group of awardees. Xi said that the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, as the crystallization of the joint wisdom of the former leadership of China, India and Myanmar, has now become an important norm of international relations, and played a significant role in promoting the establishment of a fair and rational international order. Chinese government established the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence Friendship Award in the aim of carrying forward the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence to promote the establishment of a new type of international relations characterized by equality, mutual trust, inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutually beneficial cooperation. You have set a good example in upholding the spirit of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. We call for more and more people from both countries to join us in the bilateral friendship cause, to make the concept of China-India friendship deep-rooted in the hearts of both peoples and bear rich fruits. We believe that through the unswerving efforts of various generations of our two peoples, the China-India friendship could be passed on from generation to generation, and the great rejuvenation of the two great nations of China and India will be achieved.

President Li Xiaolin of the CPAFFC presided over the awarding ceremony and made a basic introduction to the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence Friendship Award.