Creating connections

What impressed Deng the most was the deep understanding that Indian young people have of China.

"Many of my Indian classmates can accurately name several of China's major cities and top universities. They even have Weibo accounts where they discuss trending topics. They also follow Chinese films, animations, and games," she explained.

For example, one Indian student's master's thesis focused on the popular Chinese game Black Myth: Wukong. With China's hit animated film Ne Zha 2 set to release in India on April 25, she and several Indian schoolmates have already made plans to watch it together.

In Deng's view, the openness of the younger generation in both countries is key to breaking down barriers.

"The lives they share on social media are not so different from ours — we both enjoy dressing up, taking photos, and playing games," she said. "Many young people in India have a very friendly attitude toward China and even hope to study in China in the future."

According to Deng, while misunderstandings may have existed in the past, today's youth prefer to replace prejudice with curiosity.

During an interview with her Indian classmates, she asked them to respond to common stereotypes that Chinese people have about India. Initially worried it might be offensive, she was relieved when everyone spoke openly, "just like friends chatting naturally", she said.

"Friendship among youth is truly pure. The young people I've met from both countries all have positive attitudes toward one another. We are breaking down information barriers, which shows the limitless possibilities of people-to-people exchanges," she added.