Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has shared a fascinating personal anecdote about his relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping, revealing a unique bond between the two leaders. During a recent podcast with Nikhil Kamath, the co-founder of fintech startup Zerodha, Modi recounted an intriguing interaction between him and Xi that ties their connection to a 7th-century Chinese Buddhist monk, Hiuen Tsang.
Hiuen Tsang, also known as Xuanzang, was a renowned scholar and Buddhist monk who traveled to India during the Tang dynasty. His journey to India, which spanned over a decade, was a quest to collect religious and philosophical texts. Tsang’s work is significant in the history of Sino-Indian relations, as he played a crucial role in bringing the teachings of Buddhism back to China. He also lived in Gujarat, Modi’s ancestral state, during his time in India.
According to Modi, when he became Prime Minister in 2014, Xi Jinping reached out to him with a special request. “I want to visit India, see Gujarat, and your birthplace,” Xi told Modi. Surprised by this request, Modi welcomed Xi to visit. The Chinese leader explained that his interest in Modi’s birthplace was linked to the fact that Hiuen Tsang had lived in Xi’s ancestral region in China after returning from India. Xi’s ancestral home is in Fuping County, Shaanxi Province, although he was born in Beijing.
This shared historical connection offers a deeper layer to the diplomatic relations between India and China. It is particularly poignant given the strained relations between the two nations in recent years. The countries have been grappling with a series of tensions following a military clash in 2020 along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the informal border separating them. The skirmishes, which resulted in casualties on both sides, sparked a prolonged standoff and led to significant diplomatic and economic friction.
India’s response included several economic measures, such as banning Chinese mobile apps, imposing restrictions on electronics imports, and tightening scrutiny on Chinese investments. However, in a positive development last October, both countries agreed to disengage along the LAC, signaling a potential thaw in their relations. This announcement came just ahead of the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, where Xi and Modi held their first bilateral meeting in nearly five years.
As both nations seek to rebuild ties, this unique shared historical connection between Modi and Xi, rooted in the legacy of Hiuen Tsang, offers a glimpse into the potential for deeper collaboration and understanding in the years to come.
