Indian envoy to China meets CIIS President to boost think tank diplomacy
Beijing, June 10
In a move aimed at revitalising intellectual engagement between the two nations, India's Ambassador to China, Vikram Doraiswami, held a strategic meeting with Ambassador Chen Bo, President of the China Institute of International Studies, in Beijing on Wednesday.
The discussion focused on the critical role of academic and research-based dialogue in navigating the complexities of the India-China relationship. Ambassador Chen Bo provided an overview of the institute's ongoing work and briefed the Indian envoy on the history of think tank exchanges conducted between the CIIS and various Indian counterparts.
During the meeting, Ambassador Doraiswami emphasised the necessity of deepening interactions between scholars, researchers, and strategic thinkers from both countries. He noted that regular, high-level exchanges are essential to fostering nuanced discussions on both bilateral concerns and global issues of mutual interest.
In a post on X, the Embassy of India in Beijing said, "Ambassador Vikram Doraiswami met Amb. Chen Bo, President of the China Institute of International Studies(CIIS) at Beijing, today. Amb. Chen Bo briefed about CIIS and the Think tank exchanges conducted by the Institute with Indian counterparts. Amb. Doraiswami also spoke of the importance of exchanges between think tanks, scholars and researchers of India and China to promote discussions on both bilateral and global issues of salience. They spoke of ways to encourage more such visits and interactions between think tanks and young scholars of two countries."
The meeting underscores a proactive approach to maintaining communication channels through track-II diplomacy, even as both countries manage a complex and evolving bilateral agenda. By prioritising the exchange of ideas and research, both India and China aim to create a more stable environment for dialogue at the intellectual level.
Earlier in the day, Doraiswami met Fazeel Najeeb, Ambassador of the Maldives to China and touched upon strengthening ties between both nations.
In a post on X, the Embassy said, "Ambassador Vikram Doraiswami met H.E. Fazeel Najeeb, Ambassador of the Maldives to China on 09 June 2026. The discussions touched on the long-standing friendly ties between the Maldives and India, and reaffirmed the strengthening of ties, including in tourism and people-to-people exchanges in the present context."
Doraiswami also held talks with Yang Wanming, President of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, on India-China P2P exchanges.
In a post on X, the embassy said, "Strengthening people-to-people ties! Ambassador Vikram Doraiswami met Amb. Yang Wanming, President of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, to discuss the enduring legacy of India-China P2P exchanges and ways to enhance cultural, educational, and youth interactions. Both sides emphasized fostering greater mutual understanding through deeper people-to-people connections."
— ANI
Reader Comments
Finally! Diplomatic efforts beyond just border standoffs. We've been so focused on tensions that we forgot the power of intellectual exchange. Indian scholars have so much to offer in terms of sustainable development models and digital governance. Hope this leads to more student exchanges too! 🇮🇳
Track-II diplomacy is smart. It allows for candid discussions without the political baggage of formal meetings. India and China are too big and too important to not talk. The Maldives meeting is also crucial - we need to counter China's influence in the Indian Ocean region.
My concern is that these 'think tank exchanges' often end up being one-way knowledge flows - China wants our market data and tech insights, but what do we get in return? The reciprocity needs to be real. Still, engagement is better than isolation. Baby steps, I guess. 🤷♀️
Very strategic move by our ambassador. While the world is watching India-China tensions, Doraiswami is quietly building bridges at multiple levels - think tanks, cultural associations, and even with the Maldives. This is how real diplomacy works. Good to see our foreign policy being proactive rather than reactive.
People forget that before the 2020 border clashes, there were robust academic exchanges between IITs and Tsinghua University. We need to rebuild that trust carefully. The focus on young scholars is especially promising - they are less burdened by historical baggage and more open to finding common ground on climate change, AI governance, and global health.
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