Ties with China

THE Chinese Foreign Minister’s comments after the latest round of talks between the military commanders echo the oft-repeated rhetorical claim. Beijing, according to Wang Yi, is ready to work with India for the steady and sound growth of bilateral ties. The two countries, he adds, are committed to upholding stability in the border areas. In New Delhi, the remarks would have met with renewed scepticism. In the backdrop of the December 9 faceoff in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang sector, keeping the border dispute alive is being viewed as established Chinese strategy. The primary motives could be to restrain India’s ambitions and make it readjust policies, such as the growing relationship with the US.

There is no room left for doubt that China is approaching the border dispute with wider national and foreign policy interests in mind, and not just in terms of marginal territorial gain. As India, too, beefs up defences and infrastructure along the border, the likelihood of localised skirmishes will only increase. Preparing for the long haul is inevitable. As it continues to engage in a dialogue with the Chinese at multiple levels, the government must give serious thought to changing tack on the domestic front. The time has come to earnestly work towards stitching a bipartisan plan to counter the external threat. The Opposition is well within its rights to demand answers, but the relentless confrontational commentary on both sides of the political divide is proving to be a distraction. Reducing a national security threat to chest-thumping or a political rallying point is a meaningless exercise, as is digging up the past. The onus lies on the government to reach out to the rivals, apprise them of the situational actualities and agree on broad parameters on how to move forward.

The rise in India’s imports from China is outpacing the export growth. The trade deficit has widened by 16 per cent in the last five years. This would suggest that despite the standoff, common interests far outweigh differences. If only China could match its words with deeds.