China News Service, Beijing, September 29. Question: How can the mutual learning between India and China’s civilizations move from history and academics to daily life?
——Exclusive interview with Mohammad Saqif, Secretary General of India-China Economic and Cultural Promotion Association
China News Service reporter Zhang Huandi
For a long time, the mutual understanding between China and India, two ancient civilizations, has mostly remained at the level of historical classics and academic discussions. Today, when digital technology is reshaping communication methods, how can this kind of mutual learning go out of the study room and enter the daily lives of ordinary people? Mohammad Saqif, secretary-general of the India-China Economic and Cultural Promotion Council (ICEC), travels between the two countries for a long time to promote economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people exchanges. This year he also participated in the Beijing Cultural Forum. Recently, he accepted an exclusive interview with China News Service's "East-West Question" and shared his insights on topics such as digital technology, cultural cognition, economic and trade cooperation, and youth dialogue.
The interview transcript is summarized as follows:
China News Service reporter: You have previously proposed that the digital revolution can build a new bridge for cultural exchanges between China and India. What is the biggest change that digital technology has brought to the mutual learning between Chinese and Indian civilizations?
Mohammad Saqif: The most significant change is that digital technology has made it easier than ever to obtain cultural treasures from both sides, which is difficult to achieve with traditional diplomacy and physical exchanges. Ordinary people no longer have to rely only on official channels, academic books or a handful of cultural festivals. Through social media, digital art, gaming and streaming platforms, young people in Bangalore can instantly experience the contemporary lifestyle of their peers in Shenzhen, and vice versa.
The digital revolution has transformed the mutual learning between India and China's civilizations from a purely "historical and academic" subject to a "live, vivid and close to the present" interaction. It allows us to see each other no longer just as ancient civilizations, but as dynamic modern societies facing similar visions and challenges in the 21st century.
China News Service reporter: You often travel between China and India. According to your observation, what is the main channel for ordinary people in India to understand Chinese culture?
Mohammad Saqif: These channels have changed significantly over the decades. While Chinese food and kung fu movies were once the main touchpoints, modern platforms like social media, online video websites, etc. now play a vital role in spreading Chinese culture to India. They highlight movies, TV series, food videos and travel content, reaching millions of people.
Idols such as Jackie Chan have kept Chinese films popular, contemporary films have become increasingly popular, and cultural events such as Spring Festival celebrations and food festivals organized by the Chinese Embassy and ICEC have further promoted Chinese culture. Indian students studying in China also serve as "micro-ambassadors" - after they return home, they will bring the warm hospitality, festive atmosphere and daily life stories they experienced in China back to their local communities to share with those around them.
In addition, Chinese consumer technology, such as smartphone brands and smart home devices, which are ubiquitous in India, also introduces China’s technological culture and design concepts.
Reporter from China News Service: You mentioned before that the media and think tanks should take the initiative to "break cognitive barriers." In terms of the cases encountered in actual work, what are the biggest deviations in the current understanding of Chinese and Indian people's understanding of each other's culture?
Mohammad Saqif: The biggest misunderstanding is to view each other primarily through a geopolitical or macroeconomic lens, while ignoring the human element.
Indians sometimes tend to view China only as an efficient "world factory" or technology giant, while ignoring China's rich and diverse regional culture, the enthusiasm of the Chinese people, and deep family values.
The Chinese may have limited knowledge of India's enduring civilized history, diverse democratic culture, and rich classical knowledge systems beyond yoga or Bollywood. In China, India is often lumped together, focusing on narratives of poverty or chaos that ignore its technological progress, entrepreneurial spirit and vibrant traditions of life.
The media and think tanks tend to focus on friction points. As a result, publics in both countries often “understand” each other through outdated or adversarial frameworks rather than true cultural realities.
Reporter from China News Service: ICEC has promoted a lot of economic and trade cooperation between China and India in recent years. In the cases you've been exposed to, have economic exchanges in turn deepened the two countries' understanding of each other's cultures?
Mohammad Saqif: Absolutely. Business has never just been the exchange of goods, it is essentially the exchange of ideas and the establishment of trust. Without cultural empathy, long-term business partnerships cannot be maintained.
When Indian and Chinese entrepreneurs collaborate, they must understand each other's work ethics, negotiation styles and social norms. For example, Indian businessmen learn the importance of relationships and long-term trust in Chinese business culture, while Chinese partners learn to navigate India’s diverse, relationship-driven, and highly localized market dynamics.
Joint ventures create cross-cultural teams, and these daily professional interactions build understanding and genuine respect more effectively than any formal cultural summit.
Reporter from China News Service: Both China and India are promoting the digital protection of traditional culture, but each country has its own focus on technical capabilities and application scenarios. Is it possible that this difference could turn into an opportunity for collaboration?
Mohammad Saqif: Yes, this presents a great opportunity for collaboration. China has accumulated strong capabilities in large-scale digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence-driven restoration, and immersive technologies such as virtual reality and augmented reality. The impressive digital conservation of the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang is proof of this. India has a large and diverse collection of living traditions and languages, as well as a renowned model of digital public infrastructure that is easily accessible to all.
By combining China’s advanced visualization and AI restoration technologies with India’s rich heritage data and inclusive digital delivery models, we can jointly create a “Shared Asian Heritage” platform. This initiative will not only preserve our history but also set a gold standard for the Global South to preserve and promote cultural identity in the digital age.
China News Service reporter: ICEC has continued to promote China-India youth dialogue in recent years. In order for mutual learning among civilizations to truly reach the daily level of ordinary people, what kind of driving force is needed most?
Mohammad Saqif: The most important driver is organic engagement through shared interests. We cannot force mutual learning through top-down diplomatic initiatives. It must be relevant to the daily lives of ordinary people, especially young people.
To get down to the level of everyday life, we need to focus on what young people care about today – climate action, digital innovation, entrepreneurship, pop music, film and sport. When Indian and Chinese youth collaborate on an open source software project, play the same eSports game, or brainstorm a green tech startup idea, they naturally learn from each other.
In the final analysis, only when young people truly experience each other's culture instead of staying in abstract concepts can mutual learning occur naturally in daily life. This requires us to consciously create opportunities for direct contact with the next generation. (End)
Interviewee profile:
Mohammed Saqib is an economist whose research focuses on international relations, with a particular focus on the Global South, China, South Asia and the Middle East. He is the founder and secretary-general of the India-China Economic and Cultural Promotion Council (ICEC), a think tank dedicated to promoting economic and cultural cooperation between India and China. He is also the founder and director of the Center for Geoeconomics of the Global South (COGGS), a UAE-based think tank dedicated to serving countries in the Global South. Saqif is also a writer and often writes research papers and articles for many newspapers and magazines. He has long been committed to promoting economic and trade cooperation and cultural exchanges between India and China.
