Indian and Chinese sagas can run in parallel

Just as there are Generals who are fighting the last war, there are those in charge of running countries who are still preparing for a world that is on its way to extinction. That explains their inability, as far as international relations are concerned, to shed outdated shibboleths such as ‘balance of power', ‘containment', ‘encirclement', ‘spheres of influence', ‘deterrence', ‘pre-emptive strike', ‘realpolitik' and the like. Convergence of interests is no longer the only criterion for peace and harmony among nations.

Undreamt of vistas have been opened up by the revolutions in knowledge, communications, and science and technology, that are taking place simultaneously. Time and distance have been abolished and notions of sovereignty and nationality are going to take a beating, leading to a world without walls (which is what www stands for!). Nothing is going to be ‘either-or', black or white, or zero-sum. In this scenario, there is room for every country to realise its maximum potential, without having to practise one-upmanship.

The Indian and Chinese sagas too can run in parallel towards fulfilling their goals and aspirations without getting in of each other's way. This is despite India's present concerns on China. The first step in the process of cooling down temperatures is for both countries to enter into a specific and categorically worded pact ruling out war for all time to come on any count whatsoever. This will immediately bring down the temperature in their relations.

IRRITANT

As for the issues which have been much talked and written about, the ones that have the greatest relevance for India are the border dispute with China, the asylum given to the Dalai Lama, China's suspicions of India's clandestine support to Tibetan dissidents, the Chinese claim of jurisdiction over the South China Sea, and China's close and growing ties with Pakistan.

It is my belief that China would be disposed to conclude a settlement acceptable to India on the border if somehow India gets the irritant of the presence of the Dalai Lama and the so-called Tibetan Government-in-exile on the Indian soil out of the way.

This is not asking for too much considering that India, having subscribed to Tibet being an integral part of China, has no right to keep that country on tenterhooks by letting the Dalai Lama carry on his anti-China activities from India.

As regards the South China Sea, it will not be politic for India to ruffle China's feathers by openly or indirectly contesting the claim. Instead, it should offer its good offices to put together an international effort, in cooperation with China, to establish the legitimacy of its claim.

“FEVERED IMAGINATION”

There can be no doubt that China and Pakistan have often appeared to act in a manner that is deliberately calculated to spite India.

There is hope, from India's standpoint, of cracks developing, and possibly widening, in their relationship. Like the US before, China is now getting a bitter taste of Pakistan's perfidy.

It is discovering that its trouble in Muslim-dominated Xinjiang province is traceable to training in explosives and firearms of the Islamist separatists linked with Al-Qaeda in Pakistan's “terror camps”. The break may not come soon, but is a distinct possibility in the foreseeable future.

The remaining two major causes of India's unease with respect to China are its much hyped “string of pearls” strategy and its intensive project-cum-aid diplomacy in Africa, Sri Lanka and elsewhere. The purported aim of the former is to encircle India with naval bases and intelligence stations throughout littoral South Asia.

A recent incisive write-up has dismissed it as “more fevered imagination than actual military threat”. India can afford to let well alone on this matter.

India is certainly way behind the quantum and volume of China's involvement in Africa. But, then, the continent is so huge and sectors needing development so numerous that there is enormous scope for India-China coopetition (cooperative competition) in capitalising on opportunities for trade, investment and project exports.

This also applies to other emerging economies into which China is supposedly making inroads.

Thus, with a certain adroitness in approach, India can set about creating an environment conducive to a mutually beneficial entente cordiale with China.

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