Indian PM sends condolences over death of prestigious Chinese Indologist

BEIJING, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recently sent a message to his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao, in which he expressed condolences over the death of Professor Ji Xianlin, a prestigious Chinese scholar on Indian studies.

Singh, on behalf of the Indian government and people, said in the message that Ji was one of the most famous Indologists in the world, adding he was widely respected for being a knowledgeable scholar on Buddhism and the 1,000-year-old history of India-China cultural exchanges.

Ji, a professor of Beijing University, has translated ancient Indian works into Chinese, and played a key role in boosting China's understanding of the Indian culture, Singh said.

The Indian government and people gave the Padma Bhushan Award, one of the country's top civilian awards, to him in 2008 to thank his tremendous contributions to India-China ties, he said.

The Indian prime minister said Ji's death made India lose a true friend and an outstanding person advocating the continuing development of the bilateral ties that have lasted for thousands of years.

Ji, born in August 1911, died in Beijing on July 11.

Ji was best remembered for his achievements on ancient Indian aboriginal languages, primeval Buddhist languages and Sanskritic literature.