By Navjot Singh

Prior to the conclusion of the twentieth century, Asia’s two largest neighbouring countries, India and China, were, with all due respect, not close in any economic, social or political ways. Relations have been improving since the early twenty-first century following four decades of hostility over a border dispute that resulted in a short conflict in 1962.

Thankfully, with the change of the times, there have been a number of key events to celebrate the re-emergence of Sino-Indian relations. In recent years, the Elephant (India) and the Dragon (China) have established friendship years (2006 and 2007 respectively), joint military exercises, and exchange visits by political figures as well as captains of industry. Economic and political ties have been boosted since the 2006 visit by President Hu Jintao to India, when a myriad of trade agreements were signed. On an equal footing in return, Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh’s first official visit to China in January 2008 was a progression on a similar visit by China’s President Hu to India, as the two nations agreed to pencil down eleven trade agreements which would boost trade to $60 billion by 2010 from the current 2008 level of almost $40 billion.

Another area in which these two Asian economic powerhouses are burgeoning is technology. Both China and India are major players in the international consumer marketplace, and the transition of both countries to all-digital information and entertainment networks is now fueling significant domestic demand for the latest electronic products, such as set-top boxes, which can bring the luxuries of satellite TV to the heart of even a rural village.

The word “expat” is normally associated with people coming from countries in the developed world, most of whom get a tax-free western salary and live a life of luxury. Some would say this can be a similar expat life experienced in the colonial times. However all of this is steadily changing with the growing trend of globalization, as exchanges of industrial manpower between India and China increase, many of the software engineers and Indian business people working in China nowadays are classed as “expats” from India, and likewise, Chinese people living and working in India. In exchange, a large number of Chinese businesses have started opening in India’s major cities.

Usually the common signs of positive relations between any two countries are signalled by transportation links, especially with air and land. In 2006 Air China commenced services to India with a direct flight from Beijing to New Delhi (with a stop in Kathmandu), while Air India, India’s flag carrier, started operations from both Beijing and Shanghai for the first time in history. Since 2007, Jet Airways has also been operating a non-stop flight to Shanghai from Mumbai.

Sino-India relations are not just restricted to the political and industrial corporation, but also in the general friendship between the people of these two communities. Apart from the two main differences of language and culture between China and India, there are differences in the corporate world. For example when doing business in either country, surprisingly many CEOs believe that China is an open economy because the government welcomes foreign investment but that India is a relatively closed economy because of the feeble reception the Indian government gives to foreign corporations. Engaging in best practices for your business in an emerging market like India or China depends where your presence is set. For example, even though it is easier for multinationals to set up a presence in China than in India, the advantage that a newcomer to India has over China is that the local executives are more “internationally aware” than their counterparts in China, and this will make things easier for western executives. Both countries have realized this in time.

Out of the thousands of Indians in China, more than 15,000 Indian students are attracted to China’s education system by its affordable fees as well as the high quality of standards’ offered by the country’s educational establishments. Majority of Indians choose to study Medicine, not just western but also specializing in traditional Chinese medicine, which they make full use of when they return to India, as Chinese medicine practices have also become popular in India. The strong aspiration to learn Mandarin in China is also an attraction for most Indian students. In return there are just over 28,000 Chinese nationals living and working in Indian cities, mainly in Mumbai and Delhi. Kolkata is home to one of the largest Chinese communities in India. Although the majority of Chinese living here are Indian born, however, there are number of Chinese Expatriates as well.

Yoga is widely becoming admired in China, especially in Shanghai. There are approximately 450 native Indian yoga trainers who have made China their second home. Because of the hectic work lifestyle of the middle class in the major cities in China, after work, as part of the culture, most people usually relax themselves with a head, body or foot massage, or go to the beauty salon. However since the introduction of Yoga into the country, people are now increasingly seeing this as a trendy activity to pursuit, mostly in the evenings or at lunchtime.

One important aspect close to people of both cultures is the food. A few years ago it used to be the case that both Indians and Chinese people were not accustomed to each other’s cuisines. However all of this is changing as there are over 120 Indian restaurants in China, while around the same number of Chinese restaurants are known to be operational in India.

The general consensus is that both Chinese and Indian people are beginning to recognize, appreciate and take an interest in each other’s cultures. I remember, even as far aback as 2005, at being surprised to see an Indian TV serial being screened on China’s state operated CCTV8 every evening. Even though it was dubbed in Mandarin, it nevertheless would have brought a smile to any Indian expat’s face- perhaps also an excuse to learn Chinese in an interesting way!

Navjot Singh is the author of the recently published “Newcomer’s Handbook Country Guide: China: Including Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Shenzhen (First Books Inc, 2008)” and “China: Business Travelers Handbook (Stacey International, Feb 2009)”