I am pleased to know that the third India-China Think-Tanks Forum is being held on 20-21 December 2018 in New Delhi, which is being led by two premier institutes of our countries – the Indian Council of World Affairs on the Indian side and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences on the Chinese side.

Through quality deliberations in its last two editions, this Forum has established itself as a useful framework for regular and continued discussions between our academics and scholars and has enabled them to provide structured advice and recommendations to governments on both sides. These discussions, which are held in the spirit of friendship and openness, have greatly contributed in enhancing mutual trust and understanding between our two countries.

I am happy to note that this edition of the Forum is being held under the theme of "Civilization Connect towards an Asian Century”. As we trace back our civilizational bonds and take inspiration from the spirit of mutual learning kindled by our ancient scholars, our belief in the inherent intellectual connect between our two countries is only reinforced. As our relations are deepening and our regional and international role evolving, there are expectations from our two countries to lead Asia and usher in an ‘Asian Century’.

This edition of the Forum is being held as an important component of the newly constituted India-China High Level Mechanism on Cultural and People-to-People Exchanges, which has been established pursuant to the decision taken by Prime Minister Modi and President Xi Jinping in their Informal Summit in Wuhan in April this year. This underlines the important role of academic and scholarly exchanges in our people-to-people ties.

I am confident that there will be frank and candid deliberations in this Forum and I look forward to seeing productive outcomes emerging from these deliberations. These will be very important policy inputs to further deepen the Closer Developmental Partnership between our two countries.

I extend my best wishes for a very successful holding of the third India-China Think-Tanks Forum.

New Delhi
December 20, 2018