Visit of Chinese Scholar, Dr Chen Jinying

Dr Chen Jinying from the Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, China, visited the Department of International Studies and History, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), on 20 September 2016. In the forenoon, she gave a talk on ‘State-Society Relations in China’ to both MAIS classes separately. In the afternoon, Dr Jinying delivered a lecture on the ‘Current State of India - China Relations and the Way Forward’ at Room 105, Central Block. The audience comprised the staff and students of MAIS.

State-Society Relations in China:

To better under the state-society relations during Maoist period was characterized by the state penetration of society down to the village and factory level and effectively engaged in individual’s daily lives. In the countryside there was commune system and in the city, there was work unit system.
Since 1978, China began to implement reform and opening up policy which cultivated a relatively autonomous society. There was household responsibility system in rural area; privatization of state-owned enterprises; encouragement of foreign investment; and dismantling of work unit system. Chinese government  seeks alternative ways to address social concerns, thereby creating space for the emergence of social organizations or NGOs.
State-led industrialization and a well-organized strong party and its capacity to penetrate the society make Chinese civil society being vigorous while subject to the state. The party-state is still resilient and has potential to adjust social challenge with economic performance. With China’s economic slowdown, there will be more tension between non-privileged groups’ demanding and government’s desire of maintaining political stability. Where the relation between state and society goes depends on how the party reform itself and the economy.

India-China Relations:

Dr. Jinying traced the Sino-Indian bilateral relations by flagging the major breakthroughs made since Xi Jinping came to power in 2012. The highlights of which, are the increasing volume of trade, the strengthening of cooperation in the railways sector, and opening up of the Chinese market for Indian products. She positively emphasized on the cultural breakthroughs, in the form of the opening on a Yoga school in China, and the consequent scholarships provided to Indian students to study in China.

Treading on the controversial aspects regarding the Sino-Indian relations, she comprehensively mapped out the old and new obstacles to the relationship. These were stated as the long standing border conflict, and the role played by the third actors like the United States of America, Pakistan, and Japan. By bringing in the third actor, she lucidly elucidated the complex dynamics of the Sino-Indian ties. The struggle is perpetuated by the narrative of national security adopted by both the countries, which only deepens the trust deficit. She also explained how the varied perceptions of the authorities and the people of China and India have prohibited both the countries from reaching a common point of agreement on the issues.

She concluded her talk by predicting the future trends of the Sino-Indian relations, as seen empirically. She sees an improvement in the bilateral relations if the focus is on building the economic ties through greater trade and investment. The ties will also significantly improve if the people-to-people contacts could be enhanced. This will aid to remove the misconceptions the people have about the citizens of the other country.

The insightful talk was followed by an interactive session which saw an active participation of both the students and the teachers. Questions pertaining to the South China Sea, India's NSG membership, the Xinjiang crisis, economic relations, Pakistan factor and one-belt-one-road were discussed. Finally, it was concluded that the only way forward is through reorienting the relationship, by which the people, and the youth determine the future of the Sino-Indian relationship.3