Chinese scholars to attend Kolkata seminar on India-China ties
The visiting delegation – led by Sichuan Academy of Social Sciences (SASS) vice president Xiang Baoyun – would be joined by a galaxy of academicians from across India at the seminar to be held at the International Management Institute (IMI) Kolkata.
The conference, to be inaugurated by China’s Consul-General Wang Xuefeng, will cover a wide range of subjects, including “Tagore: Architect of India-China modern cultural exchange”, “Can India compete with China in the global market?”, “Healthcare sectors of India and China” and “The impact of Sino-Indian cultural differences on tourism”, an IMI release said.
IMI Kolkata now has an exchange programme with SASS, one of China’s top research centres located at Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province.
China eyes slice of India’s destination wedding business
Arindam Banik, Director, International Management Institute (IMI), Kolkata, with Wang Xuefeng, Consul-General of China in Kolkata, at an international conference in Kolkata on Saturday. Photo: Ashoke Chakrabarty
KOLKATA, OCT 18: Will affluent India’s destination weddings reach Chinese shores? Why not. Now the Chinese authorities are eyeing an opportunity to have a slice of opulent destination wedding business of India reportedly worth $40 billion or about Rs. 2.5 lakh crore a year.
Indian weddings have already been going places – South East Asian countries, Europe or the US.
Wang Xuefeng, Consul-General of China in Kolkata, told reporters here that his country was aggressively marketing several destinations such as Kunmig, Lijiang and Dali to Indians.
On the sidelines of an event organised by the International Management Institute and Sichuan Academy of Social Sciences, the Consul-General said that Indian families, who have been going to Thailand, Dubai and Mauritius for weddings, were now also considering some of the Chinese cities with beautiful weather, romantic settings and perfect tourist infrastructure.
The Chinese official said his country was facilitating engagement of Indian wedding planners and tour operators with the Chinese counterparts in the tour business.
“We are encouraging Indian firms to find partners in China, who will organise hotels, transport and decorations suitable for the occasions. Some of the Chinese destinations have also restaurants that specialise in Indian food,” Wang said.
China has become India’s biggest trading partner (worth $70 billion). The new initiatives were to extend the ties in the socio-cultural spheres too, he pointed out. (This article was published on October 18, 2014)
Indian marriages, ‘made in China’
TNN | Oct 19, 2014, 12.00AM IST
KOLKATA: Big fat Indian weddings are turning towards China as they keep looking for exotic locations keeping the budget intact. China is now luring the rich people of India, who have started to look beyond confines of five-star hotels and palaces when it comes to marriage.
While Singapore and Bangkok still continue to be favourites, tying the knot at places such as Shanghai or Kunming are fast catching up with the Indians. “We have noticed that some Indian families look for wedding destinations abroad. We are proposing cities such as Kunming, Dali and Lijiang to them,” said Wang Xuefeng, consul general of China in Kolkata.
“Kunming is called the city of spring and Lijiang is known as the city of romance while Dali famous for its pagodas.”
Flow of Indian tourists to China has increased over the years. Last year alone, around 7 lakh tourists have visited the neighbouring country. “We are now encouraging tour operators in West Bengal to find partners in China,” he added.
Tour operators feel that China will not only add to the “wow” factor to the marriages, but keep their budget intact. “Some of the five-star hotels in China are in fact cheaper than those in India. They might be a tad high compared to the ones in Thailand, but the uniqueness of the location compensates that,” said Anil Punjabi, chairman of Travel Agents’ Federation of India (eastern region).
Wedding planners and tour operators said even a few years ago, destinations in China were restricted only to a few cities such as Shanghai and Guangzhou. There are more choices now with China offering new destinations such as Kunming and Lijiang. With airfare remaining almost the same, lavish weddings in India can look forward to more exclusive locations. “A few families have already been to China to host weddings,” Punjabi added.
Rajesh Sekhar, sales and marketing manager (India) of China Eastern Airlines said, “We have daily flights from Kolkata to Kunming. The fares are competitive. The flying time, which is less than two hours, is also convenient,” he said.
At a conference on bilateral issues between India and China organised by International Institute of Management, Kolkata, Wang said that China’s ties with West Bengal were deep rooted. “Almost every delegation that comes to West Bengal visits Shantiniketan. Chinese students learn Tagore’s poems while in school.”
Keynote speaker in the seminar Manishankar Mukherjee said Bengal’s fascination for China had remained high across centuries. “This love story has to be divided into many chapters at the end of which we find Tagore visiting China 90 years ago,” he said.
Now, get ready for ‘Made in China’ weddings
The Chinese govt is also planning to promote its cities as destination wedding spots for Indians BS Reporter | Kolkata
October 18, 2014 Last Updated at 17:40 IST
From electronic products to lamps to light the house, the ‘Made In China’ label has an ubiquitious presence in the Indian market. And now, the Chinese government is planning to promote its cities as destination wedding spots for Indians.
“Cities like Kunming and Lijiang are being seen as prospective spots that can be developed as wedding destination for Indian families,” said Wang Xuefeng, Consul General of China in Kolkata on Saturday. He was speaking to the media at the sidelines of an international conference organised in IMI Kolkata.
At present Thailand is the most popular hub for affluent Indian families for destination weddings due to its low cost and proximity. ” We will encourage Indian tourist companies to find a potential partner in China, and will organise hotels, transportation, decorations; besides we are already setting up several new restaurants specialising in Indian food” he said.
Saying that India and China are one of the oldest civilisations, he said with a strong trade and cultural relations, the two countries can do miracles.
He added that there was increasing collaborations between the two countries’ educational institution. Last month a group of students from Kolkata’s top schools went on a trip to China.
Earlier, eminent writer mani Sankar Mukherji said that there should be more research on Indo-Sino relationship which would help to develop a meaningful cooperation between the two countries.
China targeting Indian wedding market
By IANS | 18 Oct, 2014, 05.33PM IST
KOLKATA: With destination weddings catching on amongst rich Indian families, China is targeting the lucrative segment in a big way, a Chinese official said here Saturday.Impressed by the lavish Indian weddings, Chinese Consul General Wang Xuefeng said his country was aggressively marketing several of its cities like Kunming, Lijiang and Dali as attractive wedding destinations.”Many Indian families are now going to Thailand, Dubai and Mauritius for weddings, but now they are a ..
The Chinese diplomat also called for enhanced Sino-Indian cooperation while addressing a conference with participation from China’s Sichuan Academy of Social Sciences and the International Management Institute, Kolkata.Describing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s September meeting with visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping as a landmark, Wang said India and China are partners rather than competitors.”China is India’s biggest trading partner, from $3 billion at the start of the century to the current of $70 billion, the mutual trade has been ever growing. But our relations go beyond trade and commerce. The world’s two most populous nations are partners and not competitors, having shared the same aspirations,” said Wang.
