INDIA has unveiled an ambitious agenda to elevate its ties with China, with External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj announcing a six-point proposal to jointly realise with Beijing, the dream of an “Asian Century”. In her first engagement of the morning in the Chinese capital, Swaraj said at the inaugural of the Second India-China Media Forum that a six-point template can enrich the civilizations of India and China in the modern era, resulting in the realisation of an “Asian Century”.Swaraj stressed that New Delhi-Beijing ties can reach the next level if both sides enforce an “action- oriented approach and a broad-based bilateral engagement”. She asserted that the two countries need to achieve “convergence on common regional and global interests” and “develop new areas of cooperation”. The two sides needed to “expand strategic communication” and “fulfil the common aspiration to usher an ‘Asian Century’,” Swaraj observed.The visiting Minister announced that on the “boundary question” – an irritant in the relationship that triggered the 1962, Sino-Indian war – “my government is committed to exploring an early settlement on its part, China acknowledged the Sino-Indian relations had entered a new period of “major-country relations,” a nuanced formulation reserved to describe Beijing’s ties with regional and global heavyweights, including the United States. India under Modi is walking a fine line between antagonising and appeasing China. While China’s continued occupation of Kashmir and its undisputed border claims are sure to irritate India, it has much to offer India in the shape of Foreign Direct Investment which India needs to improve its economy.Both countries are aware that each have only very recently begun flexing its muscles in the international arena, and both will mostly sidestep this issue to preserve overall harmony between relations. A few pesky border issues are unlikely to hamper Modi from visiting China in May and signing on numerous trade deals and MOUs with the Chinese government. Both countries are at that stage in their period of economic development where each would not do anything consciously to openly antagonize the other – ultimately both countries are nuclear powers and the political elite of both are keenly aware of that.Ultimately then, each will court the other with the fervour of new lovers, and at least for the new future, barring any mishaps, the future looks rosy for both them and Asia – it is of course in Asia’s best interests that both co-operate with each other as this spells economic prosperity for the entire region. A prolonged spell of economic and technological co-operation between the two could be just what the doctor ordered.
