Against the backdrop of a thaw in India-China bilateral ties, there is an increasing number of Indians who are learning Mandarin. The main lure is the possibility of securing better-paying jobs in corporate roles or even as translators or interpreters. Also, Indian students considering studying in China will find knowledge of Chinese useful. According to estimates, there are 300,000-500,000 Indians (students and professionals) learning Mandarin at present.
At an event in Delhi, China’s Ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, expressed his gratitude towards those Indians who had supported the Chinese language, which contributed towards friendly exchanges between India and China. “In April, I, along with over 150 Indian teachers, were celebrating the International Chinese Language Day,” affirmed Ambassador Feihong. “During the celebrations, many students spoke in Chinese and also presented performances in the Chinese language. They were also introduced to Chinese arts and crafts such as calligraphy, paper cutting and tea art.”
Chinese language programmes are being offered in the Jawaharlal Nehru University and the Institute of Chinese Studies, as also Meiyu Chinese Centre. Besides, many offline and online programmes are available in the private sector.
According to estimates, nearly 70 per cent of learners are IT professionals or in manufacturing. Many students learn Mandarin to secure scholarships or to pursue a career in international relations or diplomacy. Competitive programmes in the Chinese language for students are also organised annually.
“Language proficiency competitions have been organised in Chinese since 2002 by the Centre for Language & Co-operation under the Chinese Ministry of Education,” says Pankaj Mittal, secretary general, Association of Indian Universities (AIU). “Since its launch, the competitions have attracted hundreds of thousands of participants from around the world and have become important platforms for young people to learn Chinese language, explore Chinese culture and strengthen cultural exchanges through speeches, quizzes and artistic performances, such as singing, dancing, calligraphy, martial arts and traditional music”.
Meanwhile, there is an increasing interest in Indian students wanting to study in China. Indian students mostly consider going for medical studies. Over 20,000 Indian students were studying in China in pre-Covid times. However, there are no official figures available at present.
“China has, in recent years, become one of the most preferred destinations for Indian students for pursuing medical degrees,” informs the Consulate of India in Shanghai. “Given the growing number of Indian students coming to China to study, a set of guidelines has been drawn up with the intention of making Indian students (and their families) aware of what is involved in coming to China. China’s Ministry of Education (MoE) has identified a list of universities that enrol foreign students.”
Attracting students, talent
“There is an increasing interest in China to attract Indian students and talent for which knowledge of Chinese is an advantage,” Ambassador (Retd) Anil Trigunayat, who is also a former ambassador to Jordan, Libya and Malta. “When the US threatened revocation or non-renewal of US work visas, China became a viable option. Although efforts are being made by both India and China, the strategic trust deficit could be a dampener on the bilateral trajectory moving into a higher orbit”.
The current thaw in the relationship between India and China began last year when Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelled to China for the SCO Summit in Tianjin. He met with President Xi Jinping, and both leaders welcomed the steady momentum in bilateral relations and reaffirmed that peace and stability along the border were an absolute priority. They agreed that differences should not turn into disputes.
India-China bilateral trade is $155.6 billion, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 12 per cent. India’s exports to China have grown by 9.7 per cent and the trade deficit has widened to over $100 billion.
Direct flights have resumed between India and China, Kailash Manasarovar Yatra has also been resumed. There is hope that the trust deficit will be reduced and done away with in order to strengthen ties between these two nations.