Prime Minster Modi in China: What Beijing can Offer

Mr. Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India is visiting China from May 14-16,  2015. After astonishing and spirited visit of Mr. Xi Jinping to India in last year September, this again is a golden opportunity for both leaders to exploit their personal chemistry to coagulate and deepen the mutual trust and postulate an era of strategic partnership.          

Charismatic personality and cordial environment at home, Mr. Modi’s China visit is set to herald an new era of engagement with China, provided Beijing stimulate the process by diplomatic and political pliability. Bhartiaya Janta Party (BJP) hitherto objected to previous government’s policy toward engaging with China. Now at Centre with absolute majority in lower house of the parliament, BJP led by Mr. Modi has determination to change existing foreign policies as evident from his proactive and fast diplomacy. 

Therefore, when Modi visits China, India has certain expectations from China which if fulfilled will go long way in defining China-India relations in the history.

First, China being a permanent member of United Nations Security Council should explicitly and enthusiastically support India’s membership to UNSC. It will not only boost the trust level between the two countries but gives an honourable gesture in Indian masses about Chinese support. The reason is with the re-structuring of UNSC, India is bound to become a permanent member and if China could not come openly in support of India’s claim to UNSC permanent membership sooner, China will lose a golden opportunity to win the hearts of millions of Indians and illustrate, thereby a major failure of Chinese diplomacy. 

Second, China should not use territory claims as deterrence to India’s policy toward China. Let special representative for boundary disputes peacefully functions and suggests some measures to settle the disputes. Frequent territory claims by China only hamper its credibility and intentions to solve the boundary disputes. The claims are only exploited by hawkish strategic thinkers in both countries and ‘news crazy media’-jeopardising any engagement with China. Chinese ancient strategies choice of creating something out of nothing is not appropriate when two countriesare normalising   bilateral relations and progressing toward strategic partnership.

Third, China should take India into confidence and alleviate India’s hesitations toward Xi’s ambitious plan ‘One Belt One Road’. Taken into confidence India can be a good partner in China’s efforts in building Asia and Asian century. As for instance, India is a founding member of Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). China could not afford to let India a major player in the region to opt out from ‘One Belt One Road’ initiative.

Fourth, China has signed a climate change deal with USA in November last year. Although, the agreement has no binding clause but does weaken the existing Sino-India alliance on climate change. India could not afford to sign such agreement with USA and its developmental goal has yet to be achieved. China, though has realised the full industrialisation and expected to fully urbanized by 2020, Chinese economy still has not migrated fully to green economy. Therefore, it’s inevitable for China to align with India at COP21 at Paris to secure the interests of developing nations. China, thus explicitly state that Beijing will not bandwagon with developed nations to compromise the interests of developing nations at Paris when the world leaders sit to discuss the climate change.

Last, China being an upper riparian country in the case of Brahmaputra River, can propose the establishment of a Brahmaputra River Commission with India and Bangladesh as members for sustainable and inclusive development of the river basin. The Brahmaputra River Commission among other things will share data about flow of water and any constructions on the river by any country to demonstrate the transparency. In addition, the BRC will alleviate the anxieties of lower riparian countries about damming the Brahmaputra but also illustrates the responsible image of rising China. Apparently, China has to act as a rising power to reduce the apprehensions of her neighbors and confided with other major powers of the regions if Beijing wants its path to be SILK(y) in accomplishing the status of great power.    

Talking Points: Indian and Chinese Way of Interactions

In China, people discuses everything under the sky except politics. Social gathering is meant to eat, drink and talk anything but politics. The common topic for discussion is food, TV Serials, Novels, Movies, etc. People travel to distant places to eat the specialty of the region. And the standard Chinese language Putong Hua 普通话 ensures the smooth dialogue with local peoples. Being an Indian, feel awkward when no body talk politics in train journey. It can be rightly inferred that Beijing has engaged or provided people other avenues to divert attention from politics.

People in India talk nothing under the sky but politics, whether they are on tea stall or any social gathering. Common peoples have not traveled out of their village except now in the search of jobs. Youth at most travel from their home town to the city of school or University. Domestic travel is negligible and so our understanding of cultures of different regions. The only  thing that links different regions and peoples in India is Politics, common topic for chat.

Thus, people in India have engrossed themselves so much in politics or its politics to engross people in politics that they forgot everything.

In both the cases, peoples have been deprived of , either hard way or soft way, a healthy society.