India, China parallel rise is 'unique happening in human history': Jaishankar

Noting the similarities and contrasts between India and China, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Thursday said that the two countries' parallel rise in the contemporary era is a "unique happening in the human history".

He made the remarks while delivering a keynote address at the 13th All India Conference of China Studies.

"The two nations have some similarities, especially of size and history but there is also very interesting contrast in many ways -- culturally politically or economically. Both are in the process of building a modern nation-state from a civilized society. And their parallel rise in the contemporary era albeit at different pace and intensity is a unique happening in the human history," the minister said.

"There is no question that we need to invest deeply in the study of China. Its salience in the global order is self-evident, that it is the proximate neighbour of India only makes stronger studies and even more compelling case," he added.

In the last three decades, Jaishankar said that the interaction and exchanges between India and China grew steadily in some areas. However, he noted that rebuilding of ties with China after the 1962 conflict was a "painstaking and arduous" process.

"For the last three decades, interactions and exchanges grew steadily in some areas. China became one of our largest trading partners, a significant source of investment, a participant in projects and infrastructure building and a very substantial destination for tourism and education," the minister said.

"After 1962 conflict, we exchanged ambassadors only in 1976. The first Prime Ministerial visit to China after 1954 actually happened only in 1988. The rebuilding of our ties was actually painstaking and arduous," he added.

( With inputs from ANI )