Buddhism binding force between India, China: Minister

Describing Buddhism as the common thread between India and China, union Tourism and Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma on Wednesday said this cultural history binds the two neighbours together.

"Buddhism is the binding force between the two countries and India values the common cultural relations with China, especially those based on Buddhist links," said Sharma.

"India is keen to take forward its relationship with China and it is in this background that India is keenly exploring the possibility of extending the facility of tourist visa on arrival to China," he added.

He made the comments when a six-member delegation led by China's Religious Affairs Minister Wang Zuoan met him.

During the meeting, both sides agreed to work towards holding a jointly curated exhibition on Xuang Zang (Hsuan Tsang) - a Chinese Buddhist monk and scholar - in India and China.

Wang said: "The purpose of this visit is to take the cooperation between the two countries further especially in the area of Buddhist studies and exchange."

India also proposed hosting of virtual museums on Indian culture on Chinese platforms.