The New Indian Express
February 3, 2015
External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj’s four-day visit to China was mainly to prepare the ground for prime minister Modi’s visit sometime in May. It reflected India’s growing clout in the region. One of her tasks was to attend the Russia, India, China (RIC) foreign ministers’ conference where they reached an understanding on fighting terrorism. All the three countries have been experiencing terrorism in one form or another. One good news for India is that China and Russia supported India’s inclusion in the 21-member APEC and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. They also want India to play a greater role in the UN, though it does not mean China wants India as a permanent Security Council member.
Chinese president Xi Jinping was one of the first foreign leaders to visit India soon after Modi came to power. It showed his keenness to strengthen India-China ties which have seen ups and downs since the two nations attained “independence” around the same time. Swaraj would have taken care to remove China’s misapprehensions about India’s growing relationship with the US as exemplified by president Obama’s presence at the Republic Day parade. The relationship shouldn’t be seen as a counter to China’s growing political ambitions in the region. Nonetheless, a resolution of the border dispute between the two nations is central to the strengthening of their relations. There has been little progress on this front.
Also, there are hindrances that need to be removed to put Sino-Indian ties on an even keel. For instance, if Beijing wants bilateral trade to grow, it must correct the current trade deficit. China’s imports from India are mostly minerals. It is time China imported items manufactured in India. It can also make use of India’s strength in the Information Technology sector. If a developed country like the US can give assignments worth billions of dollars to Indian IT companies, why can’t it? China wants New Delhi to make doing business in India easier for Chinese companies. It must do the same for Indian firms, too.
