The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Chinese delegation amazed by Bangalore's strides in IT

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Nov 26, 2006
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Chinese delegation amazed by Bangalore's strides in IT

Rasheed Kappan

INTERACTION: Executive president of All-China Youth Federation and delegation leader Erkenjiang Tulahong (left) with students of the National Law School of India University in Bangalore on Saturday. To his left is the NLSIU Registrar V. Vijaya Kumar. — Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

BANGALORE: If the question was who after Hu, the 100-strong Chinese delegation that landed in Bangalore on Saturday had a lot to tell. Chinese President Hu Jintao's Indian visit earlier in the week meant more of his countrymen and women would land here to take the latest Indo-Chinese friendship initiative to different levels.

And that's exactly what the big delegation at least tried to do, exploring Bangalore's Software Technology Park of India (STPI), the Sports Authority of India (SAI) complex and the National Law School of India University (NLSIU).

A flight delay by two hours meant they had little time to interact with the people. Yet, some key delegates managed to put forth China's rather curious interest in India's and Bangalore's famed jumpstart in information technology. Being a seasoned observer of all things Chinese, Xinhua News Agency deputy director, Kuang Lecheng had read that avid Chinese interest in the IT boom here.

"Back in China, there is a lot of talk about IT in India. IT is very developed here. There are a lot of things to learn from here," he told The Hindu, as his colleagues got busy deciphering a NLSIU presentation in English. The Indian Government, he noticed, had facilitated the IT sector's growth.

"The Chinese State could learn from this experience. Bangalore is the Silicon Valley of India, and has a lot of software firms. China has got its strength in hardware. We could combine the two to our advantage. We can develop together," Mr. Lecheng's vision was apparently an echo of the greater Chinese vision. At least that was how the Indo-Chinese deal saw it.

As a mediaperson, Mr. Lecheng had to respond to a tricky query on media freedom back home.

"What you hear about media restrictions in China is not true," he clarified.

"After the opening up and reform policy, there is a lot of development in media freedom. People who work in the media can report what they know objectively, freely. For proof, take the Xinhua News Agency itself. It is today one of the top four news agencies in the world."

Back to software, very apparently the key focus area for the visiting Chinese. In her late twenties, Wang Feixue was already board chairman of the Beijing ZZNode Technology Development Ltd., old enough the understand the vast opportunities in Indian software.

"We develop operating support system for China Telecom and China Mobile. I find Indian software very well developed. I want to come here again to check out co-development possibilities."

But the big acknowledgement came from the delegation leader, Erkenjiang Tulahong himself.

"India has really taken the lead in software development, matching China's edge in manufacturing. During Mr. Hu's visit, many agreements were signed between the two countries. The future looks bright. Already, there is a lot of investment by China in India. TCL, for instance, is a major television manufacturer with a large presence in India," he explained.

Chinese folk singer Yan Dangdang's presence in the delegation was proof of the team's versatility.

Her popularity back home, despite the younger generation's yearning for many things Western, seemed odd yet understandable when she quipped: "Our culture is the best, known all over the world, understood by all."

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