Beijing

Wang Wen, Dean at the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China, said that the West (western nations) wants to maintain their influence by keeping India and China divided.

He emphasized that both countries have much to learn from one another, with India offering valuable insights in areas like international communication, cinema, and culture, while China could contribute knowledge on infrastructure, development, and poverty alleviation.

"We really think that we should learn a lot from India. India's international communication capacity, India cinema, industries, India's culture, traditions. There is a lot. I also think India can learn a lot from China for example infrastructure, development, anti-poverty and push to mutual understanding in mutual learning between China and India. I think that will push growth of our country development and mutual rise," Wang told ANI.

When asked about the potential for peaceful coexistence between India and China, Wang said that China and India can and must co-exist and for that to happen, both must be mutually understanding.

"Of course India and China can co-exist. India and China, both of us has more than 1.4 billion population. We of course should co-exist and co-development and co-rise. In order to push the co-exist, co-develop, co-rise, I think we should push to mutual understanding and mutual exchange more and more than before," he said.

"We should have more direct flight and more free visa and more culture exchange in some eye if you're very confident for the bilateral relation between India and China," he added.

Regarding his comments on Western interests, Wang suggested that as both India and China continue to rise, the West wants to preserve their dominance by keeping the two countries divided.

"I think nowadays it's unprecedented period in the past 1 and more centuries that is India and China as long civilising countries, we rise up simultaneously. So, that's a very important and unprecedented moment. So, for west they want to keep the hegemony. They have to contain one country and help the other country. Let's imagine, if nowadays India rise more quickly than China and want to suppress Americans, I think Americans and the western policy is that to help China in containing India. This is so called offshore balance strategy. So, I think China and India, we need to be clear and very smart to coordinate duties such an offshore balance strategy," he added.