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Last updated: Jan 13, 2022

India-china

Intro- No other relationship of India has as many layers as our relations

with China. - PM Modi at shangrila dialogue

Historical context:
India was the first non socialist country to establish diplomatic
Relations with PRC in 1950
After the 1962 war, Rajiv gandhi’s -1988 visit marked the beginning
of improvement in ties.
 This has been taken forward through the informal summits at Wuhan
and Mamallapuram.

on border disputes: ( relations b/w both the nations has been termed as
“cold peace.”)
Kautilya’s mandal siddhant postulates that our neighbour is our
natural enemy .
1993- agreement on maintaining peace and tranquillity along LAC
signed
India and china have signed 5 boundary dispute settlement
agreements from 1993 to 2013.
Special representatives (SR) mechanism for boundary settlement
initiated in 2003
In the context of China, salami slicing denotes its strategy of
territorial expansion in the South China Sea and the Himalayan
regions.
As said by SJ at 4th RNG lecture, India's priority now is to solve it's
boundary disputes.
Modi said future generations should not be prisoners of the past.
Modi - Xi summit : “differences must not become disputes .”

cooperation:
 international fora:
RIC
BRICS
SCO
Climate change
India-china plus one framework for jointly training afghan
diplomats
Economic-
Bilateral trade at $100 in 2021-22
The issue of trade imbalance and greater market access for
Indian pharmaceuticals, IT services and agricultural
products has been taken up by India. India has $51B of
trade deficit.
chinese companies- one plus,vivo,oppo occupy 60% of indian
mobile market
cultural:
india china share cultural ties from the times of Fa-Hein and
Huen Tsang. The kushans were placed strategically in the
middle of the ancient silk route facilitiating trade and cultural
exchanges.
Indian bollywood movies like dangal,3 idiots,bajrangi bhaijan
have become superhits in the chinese box office.
Yoga becoming increasingly popular in china.

confrontation (Views of scholars):

Reasons given by Kenneth Waltz John Garver in his
Kanti Bajpai in his laid out four book “Protracted
book “India Vs factors that contest” says that
China: Why they made one state common geopolitical
aren’t friends” a threat to space makes
1- difference in another- strategic conflict
perception of each Aggregate between both
other (cultural gap) power countries a
2- territorial disputes Proximity compulsion
3- strategic Offensive
partnerships (India- capability
US, China-Pak) Offensive
4-Asymmtery in intentions
power (military and
economic)

both countries are locked in the classical security dilemma situation

in the Asian and Indo-pacific region. China’s aggression has led to
inevitable militarisation of its military
China uses “whole of state” approach to foreign policy involving
strategic usage of hydro diplomacy, tech diplomacy, weaponisation
of its supply chains, etc
The ORF Foreign Policy Survey 2021: china is the biggest threat to India’s security

India- china relations have three components- conflict,cooperation

and competition. But in recent times the conflict part has seen an
unusual increase straining the bilateral relations
China’s india policy is encircle,entangle and envelop to pre-emt
india’s rise as a peer competitor.
for over five decades China has sought to ensure that Pakistan drags
India down. It has steadfastly supported Pakistan’s hostility towards
India and helped it in acquiring the where withal to do so including
in going nuclear.
Acc to supporters of H-R theory, China is trying to expand into
rimland countries (including india) to secure itself as a land based
power in Eurasia.
Vijay gokhale in his Carnegie working paper says-
Chinese analysts tend to dismiss Indian aspirations to become a
major power as exaggerated self-perception.
Instead of looking at India-U.S. relations from India’s
perspective, China sees them only in the context of Sino-U.S.
rivalry. Thus, China concludes that India-U.S. naval cooperation
is evidence of India’s participation in the American
encirclement and containment of China.
both India and China see themselves as maritime powers,
resulting in incompatible visions for their roles in the Indo-
Pacific region.
 Calls “armed coexistence” along the boundary as new normal.
Galwan clash-

Officials said while an agreement for resolving Hot Springs is within reach,
Demchok and Depsang are legacy issues and are tough to resolve.
In the words of CR Mohan- india china dispute has become more structural and
diplomatic band aids are not going to fix the problem

Current developments:
Recently China has given a go ahead to build a “super dam” on
Tsang Po. For realist scholars like Brahma chellaney this is an ex of
“weaponisation of river waters.”
India has recently made a decision to stay out of the RCEP. This is
assumed to come in the backdrop of chinese aggression at borders
and its dumping of cheap goods in indian market while not allowing
its market to be opened for indian pharma and IT.

Scholars:
Dr aparna pande - Shyam saran- in his bottom line for
Chinese attitude book how india sees the relationship
towards india will the world: india sees is peace and
only change when it itself as one of the tranquility
starts viewing India four petalled lotus ie
along the
as a strong jambudweep whereas
border. The
democracy with china sees itself as
border and
military and the middle kingdom.
future of ties
economic power to It has ambitions to
reckon with in the create sino-centric cannot be
Indian Ocean world separated.
Region. The key to
a more
settled
Sino
Indian
relationshi
p is a
greater
acceptance
by both
countries
of multiple
Arity and
mutuality,
building
on a larger
foundation
of global
rebalancin
 g

Analytical points:
the document Nonalignment 2.0 states categorically that China
constitutes “the single most important challenge for Indian strategy”
because of its increasing ability to directly impinge upon India’s
“geopolitical space” in Asia

If India is what many in the West call the “counterweight” to China’s

rise, Beijing’s definite message is that it is not deterred by the
counter­weight. This is a message not just to India, but to a host of
China’s rivals that are teaming up and eag­er to recruit India to the
club
It was assumed that New Delhi will be able to navigate the rise of
China through deterrence and accommodation. But now decision
makers in New Delhi believe that only deterrence will work against
china’s assertiveness across the Himalayas and its burgeoning
military, economic and diplomatic profile in India’s neighbourhood.
The room for accommodation with Beijing has narrowed
significantly
Nehru in the aftermath of 1962- chinese want to show to the world
that they are the top dogs in Asia.

Mohan malik in his book China and India : great power rivalry -says
the chinese want to “nip the indian challenge in the bud before it
becomes a serious threat.”

One mountain two tigers by shakti sinha-Delhi’s new realism makes

it possible to approach the challenge of China without
sentimentalism or unrealistic expectations
China doesn’t see India as a ‘swing state’ any more. It sees India as
an ally­in­progress of the U.S.
China's aggressive wolf warrior diplomacy .
China also planning digital silk road of the 21st century. Digital infra
is to be built in parallel with the physical connectivity planned under
BRI
On chinese century: Napolean is said to have remarked that when
China will come out of its slumber it will astonish the world.
to manage China India needs three pronged approach:
3 sets of countries-
Quad
Russia and Vietnam in china’s neighbourhood
South asian countries where the ties must be
political , people to people and increased
economic interdependence to reduce Chinese
influence in the region
Internal balancing- ratcheting up defence capabilities
Engagement: coop in multilateral forums
External balancing: by forming quad, alliances with South
Korea, Australia,USA,etc.
should india align with US:

Former foreign secy nirupama menon rao - This is an

opportunity for India to align its interests much more strongly
and unequivocally with the U.S. as a principal strategic partner
and infuse more energy into its rela­tions with Japan, Australia,
and the ASEAN.
GDP of china 5 times and defence spending 4 times, Acc to BOP
theory this power asymmetry translates into an unpleasant diplomatic
relationship and tends to increase Chinese aggression
Indo china towards millenium of exceptional syneegy - INCH
towards MILES - pm modi
On BRI
no country can accept a project that ignores its core concerns on
sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
equality. Connectivity initiatives must follow principles of
financial responsibility to avoid projects that would create
unsustainable debt burden for communities
India’s recent measures-
Banning of more than 220 chinese apps on threats of national
security and sovereignty
Introduced changes in FDI rules which mandate prior approval
from the Centre for foreign investments from countries that
share border with India
India has invoked stringent quality control norms took a poor
quality Chinese imports
Chinese companies would not be allowed to take part in road
projects as announced by union Minister for Road transport and
highways
India’s stand on south china sea- to upholding a rules-based
international order, underpinned by respect for territorial integrity
and sovereignty, rule of law, transparency, freedom of navigation in
the international seas and peaceful resolution of disputes
Way forward:
Social constructivists say the indo china war of 1962 has created an
image of enemy states and can be changed by increasing people to
people contacts.
 Dr. S Jaishankar proposed Three Mutuals – Mutual Respect, Mutual
Sensitivities and Mutual Interests; and Eight Principles including
Respect to agreements already reached

Conclusion-Asia and the world will have a better future when India and
China work together in trust and confidence, sensitive to each other's
interests.

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