Need for Indians, Chinese to learn each other’s language: Swaraj

Says it will help them overcome communication barriers, and bolster bilateral relationship

Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj (right) shakes hands with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi at the Diaoyutai State Guest House in Beijing on April 22, 2018.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Monday asked Indians and Chinese to learn each other’s language as it will help them overcome communication barriers, resulting in further strengthening the relationship between the two nations.

Ms. Swaraj, who is on a visit here, made the remarks during a programme, titled ‘Contribution of Hindi in India-China Friendship,’ organised by the India Embassy.

To talk your hearts out

“When two friends sit together, what do they want? They want to talk their hearts out to each other, share what they feel. And for that we need a language. I should be able to understand Chinese when you speak, and you should be able to understand Hindi when I talk,” Ms. Swaraj said.

“If there is an interpreter sitting between two friends, he may be able to translate the words but not the feelings with which I say something. So, it is essential that we learn a language, and understand it,” she said, a day after it was announced that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping would hold an informal summit from April 27 to 28.

“I want to say that the way India and China’s relation are strengthening, trade is increasing, we are working together on international forums, it has become increasingly important that you learn Hindi and we learn Chinese. So that when Indians visit China they don’t face difficulty, and when Chinese visit India, you don’t require an interpreter,” Ms. Swaraj said.

The people should love each other

Ms. Swaraj said during her meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi yesterday, she had told him that people are the biggest strength for any Foreign Minister and when people of two countries love each other, it only strengthens the governments.

“And this, your love for Hindi... You may not be aware that two Foreign Ministers can’t strengthen the relations between Indian and China as much as these students learning Hindi can. You [students] all are doing great service [to the two countries],” she said.

‘Dangal,’ for example

The Minister invoked “Dangal”, “Secret Superstar” and “Hindi Medium” to stress that Hindi films are gaining popularity in China, but said an understanding of the language instead of subtitles could improve their experiences of watching such films.

Noting that during the programme, a Chinese student learning Hindi had expressed that her dream was to visit India, Ms. Swaraj instructed the Ambassador to make arrangements for a visit of such students to India

“I want to tell her, that your dream would come true right here, right now. I am telling our Ambassador here to send a delegation of 25 Hindi students from here on India visit.

“We will entertain you there and gift you Indian traditional clothes — saree for girls and kurta pyjama for boys. I entrust our Ambassador here with the responsibility of sending a delegation of students learning Hindi here,” she said.