What is the issue?
- PM Modi and President Xi seem to have changed the tenor of India-China ties.
- They must now build on it to evolve a mutually beneficial geo-political space.
How has the Wuhan meet proceeded?
- The current Wuhan meet seems largely informal and unstructured, and both the premiers were accompanied only by their translators the entire time.
- Press statements issued denote that both leaders held discussions that were wide in their scope, and covered “bilateral, regional and global issues”.
- An understanding had been reached to strengthen communication lines between both militaries to avoid Doklam like standoff in the future.
- Indo-China bilateral trade currently stands and $84 billion per annum and India faces a massive trade deficit of about $52 billion with China.
- The leaders have pledged to better balance this deficit by enhancing China’s import of Indian goods in key sectors like agriculture and pharmaceuticals.
- An attempt has been made to address the international irritants in the relationship like
- China’s blocking of “India’s NSG membership bid” and “terror designation for Pakistan-based groups”.
- India’s opposition to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and tacit pampering of the Tibet issue.
- Additionally, Mr. Modi and Mr. Xi discussed a joint project in Afghanistan, which is a very significant step for the entire south Asian region.
What is the larger message?
- Past – Despite hundreds of years of engaging each other, the two neighbours have been to war only once.
- Sing the signing of the 1993 “Agreement on the Maintenance of Peace and Tranquillity”, neither side has fired a weapon against the other.
- This is very significant as the 3500 Km long border is largely not demarcated.
- Also, despite both countries processing atomic weapons, parleys have never carried even a hint of the nuclear overhang.
- Currently - In the run up to Wuhan, there was a conscious toning down of rhetoric by both sides, after the high reached during the Doklam standoff.
- This has set out a strong message that Indian and China can work together on peaceful terms despite bilateral and geopolitical differences.
- While much else remains to be done, Wuhan has definitely set the tone for a mutually beneficial and sustained Asian Century.
Source: The Hindu
