Latest

Home >> Latest

Tamil Nadu Delegation of India Visits Fujian

2019-12-26 17:10   Click:

At the invitation of Fujian Provincial Foreign Affairs Office (FAO), a delegation led by Mr. Muruganandam, Principal Secretary to Government of Tamil Nadu, Department of Industries, visited Fuzhou from December 16 to 17.

 

On December 17, Vice Governor Guo Ningning met with the delegation. She reviewed the efforts made by both sides toward establishing sister relations between Fujian Province and Tamil Nadu State, and that between Quanzhou and Chennai since the Second India-China Informal Summit in October and highlighted Fujian delegation’s concurrent visit to Tamil Nadu headed by Mr. Zheng Xincong, Secretary-General of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee.

 

Fujian and Tamil Nadu share a long history of friendly ties and close connections on maritime trade. Quanzhou is home to the remains of the only Hindu temple within China. India has become Fujian’s largest trading partner in South Asia with soaring two-way trade. Blessed with deeply-rooted associations and golden opportunities for development, Fujian and India are expected to open a new chapter on the Maritime Silk Road with the establishment of sister relations, and stronger cooperation in infrastructure connectivity, industrial capacity, trade and procurement, the protection  of cultural heritage, and tourism, said Guo.

 

Muruganandam thanked the hospitality accorded to the delegation. He noted that Tamil Nadu is an important hub on the ancient Silk Road and traced its historical links with China. China sent envoys to Tamil Nadu as early as the second Century, and Bodhidharma, a Tamil prince from the Pallava Kingdom, travelled to China in Tang Dynasty and founded the Zen Buddhism. Driven by the flourishing maritime trade, India-China exchanges reached zenith in the Song Dynasty.

 

As the cultural capital of India, Tamil Nadu has also developed into the second largest economy of Indian with a high urbanization rate and an annual GDP growth of eight percent. Strong in traditional industries such as textile, garment, and leather, Tamil Nadu has also seen great momentum in emerging industries like IT, software, aviation, and pharmaceuticals. The future holds even bigger opportunities for Tamil Nadu and Fujian to enhance cooperation given the great complementarity between the two sides in geographical location, resource endowment, and industrial structure.

 

Muruganandam agreed with Vice Governor Guo on the four proposals to strengthen port connections, open direct flights and shipping routes, build industrial parks both in Chennai and Quanzhou, and enhance cooperation between museums and universities on the study of cultural relics. He also hoped that Tamil Nadu and Fujian could function as the gateway to each other’s market to revive the glorious past.

 

While in Fuzhou, the delegation also held the “Know Tamil Nadu” Seminar to present the investment opportunities. Nearly a hundred participants, including officials from provincial departments such as the Department of Commerce, FAO and CCPIT Fujian Sub-Council as well as representatives from media, business associations and enterprises attended the seminar.

附件: