Hu’s India Visit: The Merging of Asian Giants
This week, the two Asian giants, India and China, are in a mood to move forward together and leave the bitter past behind. President Hu Jintao of China is in a four-day India visit from November 20 to November 24, 2006. This is the first visit in ten years by a Chinese President after the historic visit of President Jiang Zemin in 1997 and many considers the visit as symbolically significant, an effort to revive the Hindi – Chini, Bhai – Bhai (India – China are brothers) spirit of the 1950s.
President Hu’s visit comes at a time when India – China cooperation is at a historic high and the two giants want to assure each other that they are partners and not competitors. Even though there is no extraordinary breakthrough in this meeting, but there are significant improvements for the two giants to move forward as partners. The two countries agreed on Tuesday in New Delhi to sign a wide range of strategy to improve their bilateral ties in commercial, political and strategic areas.
Commercially, the two countries agreed to double bilateral trade to $40 billion by 2010 and a task force will be instituted to study the feasibility of an India – China Regional Trading Arrangement. At the same time, a Chinese consulate will be set up in Kolkata and an Indian one in Guangzhou in order to facilitate the people to people contact and business dealings. The consulates will give China access to Northeast India and India to Southeast China. Quoting Manoranjan Mohanty of Institute of Chinese Studies, the agreement is “important for India’s look east and China’s look west policies.”
Border issue that has been the bone of contention between the two giants were also being discussed in which the two countries agreed to settle the vexed border issue through the establishment of special representatives that will accelerate progress towards a deal that will solve the issue. A hotline between the Indian and Chinese foreign ministers will soon be established as an effort to build closer relationship and to quell any misunderstanding between the two countries.
Energy cooperation was also in the agenda in which the two countries decided to promote civil nuclear cooperation. In the backdrop of the India – US nuclear agreement, India is hoping that China, a key member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, will extend its support to India’s growing need of energy through nuclear technology. Having secured the support from Russia and the US for India’s nuclear ambition through civil nuclear cooperation, an additional support from China will only complement India’s confidence to satisfy its energy need in the coming decades through nuclear technology.
On the fight against terrorism front, India and China agreed to revitalize and broaden the India – China Dialogue Mechanism on Counter-Terrorism to jointly combat terrorism, separatism and extremism and the linkages between terrorism and organized crime.
President Kalam remarked that President Hu’s visit is a milestone in India – China bilateral relations. He further said that the bilateral relations will continue to flourish and grow in the years to come in multiple fields. The positive trends in India – China relations promoted harmony in the region. Expressing similar confidence, former Indian Ambassador to China, C.V. Ranganathan, said that the joint statements like the one expressed on Tuesday could become programs for action to keep up the high level of momentum in India – China relations in various fields. It is an affirmation by the two countries that they are committed to deepen and diversify relations.
However, there are still voices of concern over these positive notes. One such voice is the concern over China’s lukewarm response to India’s ambitious aspirations for civil nuclear technology to satisfy its increasing energy needs. According to Bharat Karnad of Center for Policy Research, the clause about a civil nuclear cooperation between the two countries in the joint declaration does not mean that China will facilitate a consensus at the NSG in India’s favor (decision in the NSG is taken through consensus, not by vote). In fact, according to him, it will probably not: it is a political maneuver by the Chinese in the face of the India – US nuclear deal. China has nothing other than uranium to give India whereas India can offer China its technology.
On the resolution of the boundary issue, Karnad said that it is a mere lip service, adding that the status quo will stay. The statement by Chinese Ambassador for India on the border issue, his claim over the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh as an integral part of China, in an interview on a private TV channel days before the visit only adds to this skepticism. The recent opening of Nathu La to make border irrelevant is one thing, and the Chinese claim over Arunachal Pradesh is something else.
Similarly, on India’s candidature for a permanent seat on the UNSC. China said that it attaches great importance to the status of India in international affairs. It understands and supports India’s aspirations to play a greater role in the UN. But – unlike Britain and France – China refused to come out openly to support India
Summing up this article, President Hu’s visit to India is of an important significant for India – China bilateral relation. Despite of their differences and the reluctance of either side on certain issues, India and China have finally departed from their decades old cold relations. The agreements signed by the two leaders on Tuesday showed that their differences will not hinder their aspiration to establish a closer partnership for a better future. Even though the P-word (Pakistan is China’s all weather ally and India’s sworn rival in South Asia) will remain in between but the fact that a cordial relationship between India and China “is of global and strategic significance,” there exist “bright prospects for their common development”. India and China “are not rivals or competitors but are partners for mutual benefit.”
Note:
Published as China and India: When Giants Merge in The Jakarta Post on Friday, 24 November 2006.
President Hu’s visit comes at a time when India – China cooperation is at a historic high and the two giants want to assure each other that they are partners and not competitors. Even though there is no extraordinary breakthrough in this meeting, but there are significant improvements for the two giants to move forward as partners. The two countries agreed on Tuesday in New Delhi to sign a wide range of strategy to improve their bilateral ties in commercial, political and strategic areas.
Commercially, the two countries agreed to double bilateral trade to $40 billion by 2010 and a task force will be instituted to study the feasibility of an India – China Regional Trading Arrangement. At the same time, a Chinese consulate will be set up in Kolkata and an Indian one in Guangzhou in order to facilitate the people to people contact and business dealings. The consulates will give China access to Northeast India and India to Southeast China. Quoting Manoranjan Mohanty of Institute of Chinese Studies, the agreement is “important for India’s look east and China’s look west policies.”
Border issue that has been the bone of contention between the two giants were also being discussed in which the two countries agreed to settle the vexed border issue through the establishment of special representatives that will accelerate progress towards a deal that will solve the issue. A hotline between the Indian and Chinese foreign ministers will soon be established as an effort to build closer relationship and to quell any misunderstanding between the two countries.
Energy cooperation was also in the agenda in which the two countries decided to promote civil nuclear cooperation. In the backdrop of the India – US nuclear agreement, India is hoping that China, a key member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, will extend its support to India’s growing need of energy through nuclear technology. Having secured the support from Russia and the US for India’s nuclear ambition through civil nuclear cooperation, an additional support from China will only complement India’s confidence to satisfy its energy need in the coming decades through nuclear technology.
On the fight against terrorism front, India and China agreed to revitalize and broaden the India – China Dialogue Mechanism on Counter-Terrorism to jointly combat terrorism, separatism and extremism and the linkages between terrorism and organized crime.
President Kalam remarked that President Hu’s visit is a milestone in India – China bilateral relations. He further said that the bilateral relations will continue to flourish and grow in the years to come in multiple fields. The positive trends in India – China relations promoted harmony in the region. Expressing similar confidence, former Indian Ambassador to China, C.V. Ranganathan, said that the joint statements like the one expressed on Tuesday could become programs for action to keep up the high level of momentum in India – China relations in various fields. It is an affirmation by the two countries that they are committed to deepen and diversify relations.
However, there are still voices of concern over these positive notes. One such voice is the concern over China’s lukewarm response to India’s ambitious aspirations for civil nuclear technology to satisfy its increasing energy needs. According to Bharat Karnad of Center for Policy Research, the clause about a civil nuclear cooperation between the two countries in the joint declaration does not mean that China will facilitate a consensus at the NSG in India’s favor (decision in the NSG is taken through consensus, not by vote). In fact, according to him, it will probably not: it is a political maneuver by the Chinese in the face of the India – US nuclear deal. China has nothing other than uranium to give India whereas India can offer China its technology.
On the resolution of the boundary issue, Karnad said that it is a mere lip service, adding that the status quo will stay. The statement by Chinese Ambassador for India on the border issue, his claim over the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh as an integral part of China, in an interview on a private TV channel days before the visit only adds to this skepticism. The recent opening of Nathu La to make border irrelevant is one thing, and the Chinese claim over Arunachal Pradesh is something else.
Similarly, on India’s candidature for a permanent seat on the UNSC. China said that it attaches great importance to the status of India in international affairs. It understands and supports India’s aspirations to play a greater role in the UN. But – unlike Britain and France – China refused to come out openly to support India
Summing up this article, President Hu’s visit to India is of an important significant for India – China bilateral relation. Despite of their differences and the reluctance of either side on certain issues, India and China have finally departed from their decades old cold relations. The agreements signed by the two leaders on Tuesday showed that their differences will not hinder their aspiration to establish a closer partnership for a better future. Even though the P-word (Pakistan is China’s all weather ally and India’s sworn rival in South Asia) will remain in between but the fact that a cordial relationship between India and China “is of global and strategic significance,” there exist “bright prospects for their common development”. India and China “are not rivals or competitors but are partners for mutual benefit.”
Note:
Published as China and India: When Giants Merge in The Jakarta Post on Friday, 24 November 2006.
Labels: Indian Foreign Policy
blog by Mas Qisa'i at 12:06:00 PM
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