India must make the most of a thaw in its relations with China

Less than a year after India and China came close to an armed conflict in Doklam, a plateau in the Himalayas that is claimed by both Thimphu and Beijing, leaders of the two Asian giants sought to reboot their bilateral ties in the ancient city of Wuhan. Over the past year, India has been looking at its eastern neighbour with increasing suspicion as Beijing continued to strengthen its grip in the Indian Ocean, the latest example being the events in the Maldives. The so-called “informal summit”, during April 27 and 28, between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping also came at a time when the international geopolitical landscape — be it the escalation of hostilities in Syria or the breakthrough in North Korea — has been witnessing a fair amount of turbulence. Given the context, it was a relief to hear the message coming out of Wuhan.

The official press release from the Prime Minister’s Office states that the two leaders underscored the importance of maintaining “peace and tranquillity in all areas of the India-China border region” in the larger interest of the overall development of bilateral relations. The big tool for achieving this goal will be enhanced communication. The two sides agreed on the “need to strengthen strategic communication through greater consultation” on all matters of common interest. The focus on improved strategic communication as a way to move forward instead of being stuck with issues such as the border disputes is the chief mantra for the two countries going forward.

This moderation in China’s stance has not happened without reason. In the last few years, China had moved away from the worldview where it saw India as a partner to grow with. The Indian economy was growing rapidly and China saw the country as a great opportunity to invest in. That explained its earlier reluctance to come out openly against India at world fora on issues such as India’s demand for an NSG (Nuclear Suppliers Group) waiver. All that changed after it became clear that the Indian economy flattered to deceive and China increasingly sought to partner with the United States (US) rather than emerging economies such as India. In fact, China appeared to start enjoying its position of being the only one to oppose India on various issues and became increasingly insensitive towards India’s concerns.

The Wuhan meeting was the first signal of China going back to its earlier, softer position on India. That is because Beijing is now looking to reduce unpredictability in its vicinity, brought about by the sudden change in the Korean peninsula, which saw North Korea and the US coming to an understanding without any Chinese involvement. Beijing recognises it does not have as much control in the developing Korean situation as it would have liked. China also did not expect India to respond as strongly as it did on the Doklam stand-off. Whatever be the reason, India would do well to take advantage of the changed mood in Beijing and work assiduously towards expanding areas of positive engagement with that country without letting divisive issues trip the new balance. Many have said that the Wuhan summit was more about optics than substance, but it does signal a desire on both sides to return to the negotiating table. That itself is a big positive.