Participation of Premier Li Keqiang in the high profile Yoga-Tai Chi event along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi here recently and the permission to set up the first India-assisted Yoga college in China is seen as an official sanction for its spread in the communist nation.

Li’s participation in the colourful Yoga-TaiChi meeting last week involving 400 Chinese and Indian students along with Modi provides “official seal” to permit practice of Yoga in a big way, Indian officials said.

Yoga has become immensely popular in China especially among the educated middle classes who see it as more of a physical exercise.

However, this is the first time that a high powered official attended an Yoga event sending an official signal to the provinces to encourage it.

An MoU to set up a Yoga college along with Indian teachers in Yunnan University was signed during Modi’s visit which for the first time bring will bring new standards to thousands of Yoga teachers and institutions mushrooming all over China.

The college will provide certificate courses.

Indian Council of Cultural Relations, (ICCR) will provide two teachers to the university, Indian officials said.

Also, China has permitted events to celebrate the first anniversary of UN Yoga Day on June 21 all over the country besides an international Yoga Festival near Chengdu in which a number of Indian teachers will participate.

Yogi Yoga, a well known private yoga institution in China has just organised an international Yoga conference here coinciding with Modi’s visit last week.

The conference concluded yesterday.

Besides the Yoga college, the first Gandhian studies centre was also established in China.

Modi inaugurated the centre at the Fudan University in Shanghai on May 15.

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