According to the WeChat Official Account of the Chinese Embassy in India, on April 19, 2025, the mainstream English-language newspaper in India, The Times of India, published a written interview with Ambassador Xu Feihong. Ambassador Xu introduced the situation regarding high-level exchanges between China and India, economic and trade cooperation, cultural exchanges, etc., and clarified the solemn position of China regarding its opposition to the US's arbitrary imposition of tariffs.
Question: Both India and China are seeking to facilitate media exchanges. What role do you think the media plays in addressing the trust deficit between the two countries?
Answer: As you said, one of the prominent issues currently facing Sino-Indian relations is the trust deficit, which can be attributed primarily to the lack of communication between the two countries in recent years, resulting in an information deficit and cognitive deficit. At present, most of the exchange and dialogue mechanisms that have been established between China and India are in a state of suspension, and the level of cultural exchange is low. Although China is making efforts to improve the level of exchanges between the two countries, last year the Chinese embassy and consulates in India issued a total of 280,000 visas to Indian citizens, and since this year, more than 85,000 visas have already been issued, but it is not easy for Chinese people to obtain Indian visas. Both sides have yet to resume the exchange of journalists, lacking firsthand information about each other's country. Some so-called "unfair trade" and "China threat" theories have been amplified through the media, significantly influencing ordinary people's perception of China.
The media is an important link in enhancing mutual understanding between the two peoples. China is not afraid of negative reports and welcomes constructive opinions from Indian media regarding China's development and Sino-Indian relations. There is an ancient Chinese saying, "Listening comprehensively leads to clarity; listening one-sidedly leads to obscurity." It is hoped that media friends will gather information and viewpoints from multiple sources, break through the "third-party lens," and comprehensively report on China from their own perspective.
Currently, the competent authorities of both China and India are intensively communicating on issues such as the exchange of journalists and visa facilitation, expecting to achieve visible results as soon as possible to bridge the information deficit, cognitive deficit, and trust deficit between the two sides.
Original article: [https://www.toutiao.com/article/7495169531896267304/]
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