Nov 14, 2010

India’s Balancing Act: Beijing’s New Concerns?

"We reaffirmed the two countries' resolve to find a practical, pragmatic and mutually satisfactory solution to the border problem," said Indian Prime Minister of his meeting with Premier Wen Jiabao, speaking to reporters on his way back from the ASEAN summit. "Whatever Premier Wen said, I agree. India-China relations should be strengthened. Whatever misunderstandings are there should be removed," the Prime Minister added placing the relationship between the two countries in perspective. In a briefing on the Prime Minister’s meeting with Mr Wen to the media, Mr Shiv Shanker Menon the National Security Adviser highlighted three key take away, “(1) We had a high-level review where both sides reaffirmed their determination to carry this relationship forward along the positive track that we have maintained for several years; (2) that we will, during the 60th anniversary year of diplomatic relations, hope to have a very high-level visit from China as well. Premier Wen Jiabao himself said he hopes to come; (3) that they have given new impetus to the process which we have both between the SRs and between the officials of both countries to work our way through the issues and have given us a clear direction of how they want this handled”.

Providing a flavour of the meeting he said, “During their discussions on the bilateral relations both of them took a broader strategic view of the significance of India-China bilateral relations; expressed satisfaction at the development of that relationship; and also discussed specifics in the relationship. Premier Wen Jiabao recalled what Prime Minister had said before that there is enough space in the world for both India and China to realize their development aspirations. He actually added to it and he said that there is enough space for China and India to also have cooperation in all areas”.

The National Security Advisor added, “The Prime Minister raised the issue of all difficult questions and showing sensitivity to each other. We were instructed, the SRs and the officials on both sides, to prepare for Prime Minister Wen Jiabao’s visit and to work our way to solutions of all the issues that are difficult in our relationship including the boundary question. As I said, they covered the entire range of the relationship”.

On the boundary issue he highlighted that both sides are looking forward to an early resolution of the issue. Both mentioned the need to carry the process forward from the guiding principles and the political parameters which were agreed and signed in 2005. Both said they would ask the Special Representatives to do so with a sense of urgency. And they agreed that in the meantime, pending a settlement, we will maintain peace and tranquillity along the boundary. The SRs are likely to be meeting towards the end of November.

That the border is tranquil is evident as the Director General of the Indo Tibetan Border Police Mr Bhatia in his annual press conference ahead of the paramilitary force's Raising Day on October 24, confirmed that there were no major so called incursions on the Sino Indian border. Mr Bhatia added that capacity building was ongoing, "You know that there is no demarcation on this border. There are no border pillars on this border and there is no boundary on this border. We are guarding a friendly border". ITBP has deployed 19 battalions on the 3,488-km-long border. The gaps between posts are nearly 100 km but with an increase in the number of posts are likely to be reduced to an average of 20-25 km.

The Chinese have also been closely watching Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh's tour of Japan, Malaysia and Vietnam. "Japan and India have placed high expectations upon each other in combining strengths to counterbalance China," were remarks of a columnist in People's Daily online debating, whether, “India's look east policy means look to encircle China?” “The savvy Indian leadership will never rashly board the ship of Japan without giving a glance at China's expression," the debates hoped as unlike Japan, China was India's largest trade partner. "Any attempt by New Delhi to build strategic links to East Asian nations will be decried by Beijing," as per research fellow Dean Cheng at the Heritage Foundation in Washington. "The point is not so much whether India (or any nation) is trying to encircle Beijing, but whether Beijing believes that's the case. This article typifies thinking in some quarters that this is precisely what's going on," he added

  Remarks from Shanghai analysts as expected were less worrying. "On the surface, India's look east policy is not strategic. It's to tap the opportunity to strengthen the nation's competitiveness and build India," Shen Dingli, executive dean of the Institute of International Relations at Fudan University, said. "Look east does not mean fight east," said Shen. "Look east mostly means engage east." [Based on Hindustan Times Report].

NOV 2010