Ministers' visit steers Sino-Indian ties in new direction

By Rabi Sankar Bosu

This year is already turning out to be significant for the strategic partnership between China and India. The two countries are apparently taking a pragmatic approach to their relationship after last summer's border standoff in Doklam. Having drawn lessons from the standoff, the leaders of the two countries are making continuing efforts at guiding bilateral ties towards normalcy. 

Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj speaks to reporters in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, March 20, 2018. [Photo: AP/Manish Swarup]

The visits by China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi and State Councilor Yang Jiechi to India last December acted as an icebreaker after the Doklam episode, as was the visit by China's trade minister Zhong Shan last month. These positive gestures will be followed by the visits of India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Beijing this month. China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said, "We believe Swaraj's visit will further enhance political trust between the two countries and elevate the China-India strategic cooperation partnership." 

Several hotspot issues affecting bilateral ties are likely to be discussed during the visits, specifically, the move by China to block India's membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, and vetoing India's repeated efforts to add the head of Jaish-e-Mohammad, Masood Azhar, to the UN Security Council sanctions list. Experts believe that China must address these longstanding issues of concern. The visit by India's defense minister is expected to further reduce tensions between the militaries of the two countries following the Doklam incident. And it is to be hoped progress can be made on developing the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar-Economic Corridor.

The upcoming visits will surely help pave the way for Prime Minister Modi's visit to China in June, and his meeting with President Xi Jinping. Indian analysts expect that India will make positive announcements on the Belt and Road Initiative during Modi's visit if China gives vital concessions to India on the China Pakistan Economic Corridor at the expense of China's all-weather friend Pakistan. 

A number of feel-good measures have already emerged ahead of the visits by the Indian ministers to China. In February, India's Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale instructed government representatives not to participate in Tibetan events, as it was a sensitive time for bilateral relations. And on his maiden visit to China that month he assured China's leaders that India would restrain separatist activities in India.

The 11th India-China Joint Economic Group meeting in March in New Delhi resulted in a host of major commercial outcomes. And the attendance by China's Commerce Minister Zhong Shan signalled the upswing in India-China trade relations, raising hopes of a united front against "America First" protectionism. 

Furthermore, China's top planning body, the National Development and Reform Commission, hosted the fifth Strategic Economic Dialogue with the National Institution for the Transformation of India this month. During the meetings, India sought China's assistance to speed up the revitalization of its aging rail system, including the redevelopment of the Bangalore-Chennai railway corridor and Agra and Jhansi railway stations. Also this month, India's National Security Adviser paid a visit to China for meetings on border affairs and trans-boundary river management mechanisms.

As China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi recently said, "No mountain is high enough to stop China and India having a strong relationship, as long as both sides strive to build trust instead of fighting one another." This comment inspires confidence in the future of the relationship between "the Dragon and the Elephant."　

(Rabi Sankar Bosu, Secretary, New Horizon Radio Listeners' Club, based in West Bengal, India)