Usually, given the history of Sino-Indian relations, there are many dark spots than brighter ones. Whenever the subject of bilateral talks with China is opened, our mind reverts to the unprovoked Chinese incursions into Arunachal Pradesh and later claiming the territory. We are also reminded of our differences in Ladakh Border. Yet these events notwithstanding, we need to live in peace and understanding of each other fully.
But India being a huge democracy in the world has announced peace as her mission. In his maiden visit to China as Head of the Indian State, President Pranab Mukherjee met and talked to the Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li Kegiang in the magnificent Peoples Hall in Beijing. Among other engagements for the President was a lecture on Indo-China relations in Beijing University.
From the reports trickling down in the media, we find that the President divided his China narrative into two main parts, namely the terrorism and nuclear issue as one component and the wide range of cooperation between the two Asian giants on the other. In a sense one can say that President Mukherjee was very outspoken in handling his counterpart on a number of bilateral issues in which they had demonstrated varying views. These are two in the main. First are international terrorism and the commitment of China to eradicate the menace along with other world powers. The President made no bones in telling the Chinese leadership that India does not at all approve the attitude of the Chinese delegation in the UN Security Council meet opposing India’s move to declare the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Muhammad chief Azhar as an international terrorist. Twice has China blocked India’s resolution in this context at the Security Council session? President made it clear to the Chinese President and PM that there were no good or bad terrorists as China believed. China herself was under threat by the religion-based terrorists in one of her eastern provinces and as such China had to accept that counter terrorism was a global reaction to the terrorist threat which had taken a very large number of innocent lives in different parts of the world. The President frankly told the Chinese leadership that it has to cooperate with India and other countries in the search for lasting peace on the globe.
The other issue on which President Mukherjee conveyed his concern to the Chinese President was about ensuring a predictable nuclear regime as New Delhi seeks to join the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). The need for practical security to nuclear regimes becomes obvious in how the terorits are widening their activities to seek and get hold of nuclear weapons and use them wantonly.
These grievances notwithstanding, the other part of President Mukherjee’s stand was also laudable. He talked in detail about the positive aspects of India -Chimes bilateral relations and their cooperation at various organizations. Without mincing words, the President said that India and China need to cooperate as very responsible states and set forth an example of ideal cooperation and collaboration. Indo-Chinese relations had a long civilizational history and the important requirement in bilateral relationship is to understand and concede sensitivities of each partner. He also named several international organizations where India and China collaborated in their common approach to global and developmental issues that facilitate strong cooperation in multilateral fora including the G20, BRICS, East Asian Summit, Asian Infrastructure and Investment Bank (AIIB) and Shanghai Cooperation Forum (SCO).
By and large, it appears that President Mukherjee’s straight talk was liked by the Chinese media and it gave them a clearer picture of how India was looking at her relations with China. Perhaps no clearer explanation and enunciation of Sino-India current relations could come from an expert in the field. We have to understand that we need to develop good and very cordial relations with China and forget the pst bitter acrimony. There are no issues between the two that cannot be resolved by talking from heart to heart. India and China have been able to stabilize border in Ladakh through a mutually accepted formula of field commanders talking on the issues if raised . He was optimistic that trade, economic and scientific and technological relations between two big countries can flourish at some time.
Finally, we hope that Chinese leadership will value the advice and suggestions of the President of India and will not think of India as an isolated case of victim of terrorism. India is performing her duty and commitment to the world community; China is expected to respond. There was no sense in China blocking the vote of branding Azhar as international terrorist. By indirectly supporting Azhar, China is not doing any favour to Pakistan. In fact, it is doing a disservice to her ally by shielding the terrorists who are now target the very sources in Pakistan that were instrumental in leading gun culture in Kashmir.
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