India-China Relations- part 4

Cooperation

1)Economic

  • Both India and China are aspiring for democratising international finantial institutions – eg : AIIB, NDB are initiatives agaist WORLD BANK, IMF etc
  • Five year trade or economic development plan in which China will invest $20 billion in India
  • Both countries have granted MFN (Most Favoured Nation)  status to each other
  • China have open border trade with India – Ship ki la(Himachal Pradesh) and Lipulekh (Utharaghand)

2)Military

  • Border Defence Cooperation agreement with China to avoid border disputes ( Even then certain border disputes still emerges such as Doklam Stand off )
  • Military Exercise : Hand in Hand
  • Both countries suffer from internal security dilemma (Kashmir for India and Xinjyang for China)

3)Cultural

  • Cultural exchange programme
  • Both have established ‘Sistor cultural Parks’ – eg : Bangaluru and Beijing
  • There were also many ancient travellers from China who visited India
  • Budhism

Strategy of India towards China

->India should follow a policy of overt engagement and covert containment : It seem like  Delhi ready to compete with Beijing where it must cooperate wherever it could

->India should deliberately keep ambiguity in Tibetan Policy

->India should always follow an active deterrance policy (Capability and credibility)

->India should strive for a multilateral security architecure in Asia-Pacific which protect our economic and strategic interest

Way forward

  • Necessary to build up economic and security capabilities and begin to close the power gap with China.
  • India’s foreign policy formulations on China and Pakistan need no longer be considered as separate instead one hyphenated strategic entity.
  • Time for India to join hands with Japan, US and EU to promote alternatives to Chinese economic exploitation.
  • India should aggressively pursue ‘Cotton Route’, Project Mausam and Spice Route to strengthen economic ties between countries in the Indian Ocean rim.
  • Bring into action planned strategic Asia Africa Growth Corridor with the help of Japan.

Most of its neighbours have been adept at playing the “China card” against India’s alleged “hegemony”, and China has been quick to exploit this to its advantage. Its strategy has been to bottle up India in the subcontinent, but India can defeat this strategy of China by mending fences with the neighbours and by convincing them that it has no hegemonic ambition..

 

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