People-to-people informal exchanges can significantly boost understanding between China and India, to help strengthen bonds, said Indian media representatives who recently returned home from a China trip.

At the invitation of the Chinese Consulate General in Kolkata, a delegation of senior journalists and editors from seven major Indian mainstream media outlets, including The Times of India, India Today and The Statesman, recently visited Hunan and Fujian provinces to gain a deeper understanding of China's achievements in poverty alleviation and the development of advanced manufacturing industries, as well as to appreciate the cultural heritage of the country.

The delegation visited Shibadong Village, a village of the local Miao people, located in Huayuan county, with its name coming from the 18 karst caves nearby. The village has served as a role model for the initiatives of precise poverty alleviation in China.

They also visited the modern manufacturing plants of Hunan Weisheng Electronics and Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science & Technology Co Ltd, which primarily engage in the research, development, and manufacturing of high-tech equipment such as construction machinery, mining machinery, and agricultural machinery.

In the city of Ningde, Fujian province, the delegation visited a poverty alleviation and development-themed exhibition hall in the city and Xiaqi village, to learn about the local government's poverty alleviation measures and the significant changes in the lives of villagers, who were former residents of boat homes.

Anupam Mishra, an editor with the India Today Group, said that the trip will foster more communication and exchanges between India and China to learn from each other's experiences, particularly in the aspects of poverty alleviation and modernization.

Rajib Chakraborty, a senior political correspondent with The Statesman newspaper, said that journalists in India, like those in China, need to navigate the landscape of transformation. He called for creating an interactive media platform "where Indian and Chinese journalists can work together on issues that affect both our nations: climate change, trade, health, education, and technology".

vivienxu@chinadailyapac.com