Sino-Indian Relations: Avoid Putting the Gloss

22 Jul, 2000    ·   389

Dr Subhash Kapila is critical of ignoring the apparent dangers of China’s policies vis-a vis India during President Narayanan’s recent visit to Beijing
Dr. Subhash Kapila
Reminiscent of the Nehruvian era, India has once again revived the inadvisable policy of putting a gloss on Sino-Indian relations.  The results of that  disastrous policy were:

 

 

·                     Lulling the nation into a false sense of security.

 

 

·                     India 's military preparedness receiving low priority.

 

 

·                     Ignoring development of military infrastructure on the India-Tibet border.

 

 

Putting a gloss on the current state of Sino-Indian relations as was evident during the recent state visit of President Narayanan to China , whose intentions in South Asia are decidedly anti-Indian.

 

 

President Narayanan, having been Indian Ambassador to China and having visited China as Vice President should have raised the following issues which bedevil Sino-Indian relations:

 

 

1.                   China 's continuing role in nuclear weaponisation and missile proliferation in Pakistan .

 

 

2.                   Pakistan 's state sponsored terrorism in Kashmir .

 

 

3.                   China 's role in prompting North Korea to supply MRBMs to Pakistan .

 

 

Press coverage, Indian, Chinese and international suggest that the Indian President did not raise any of these issues which threaten India 's security. Presumably China had indicated that it would not be ready to discuss Pakistan and China 's strategic relation in South Asia .  To maintain as the Indian press has, notably the two FRONTLINE issues covering this visit- that it was  successful and that Sino-Indian relations are on the upswing  put an unwarranted gloss on the actual state of Sino-Indian relations.  Creating 'atmospherics' is not a one-way street.

 

 

President Narayanan in an interview to ASIAWEEK magazine stated in response to a question on Sino-Pakistan relations being a major India-China problem " India does not object to their friendship as long as it is not directed against us".  Surely, the Chinese - aided nuclear weaponisation and missile build-up of Pakistan is directed against India .

 

 

Besides, the President did had not raise, with the Chinese leaders the following issues of crucial importance to India .

 

 

·                     China 's stand on supporting India 's candidature for the UN Security Council Permanent Membership.

 

 

·                     China 's cooperation in curbing international terrorism even though it is a member of the Dushanbe Five.

 

 

Prevalent Chinese attitudes towards India can be summed us as follows:

 

 

·                     China is in no mood to initiate an improvement of relations with India .  Evidence of this is the lack of any fruitful outcome of the JWG meetings and Strategic dialogue.

 

 

·                     China 's reluctance to  demarcate the LAC.  It is reminiscent of Chinese attitudes during the period 1950 - 1962.

 

 

·                     China 's containment policies in South Asia directed against India through its proxy i.e. Pakistan .

 

 

·                     China opposes India 's candidature for the UN Security Council Permanent Membership.

 

 

Significantly, while India   to puts a gloss on the state of Sino-Indian relations, China does not  have the courtesy of conceding even some minimal gestures to allay India 's anxieties on China - initiated  complications  in South Asia .

 

 

The future does not portend any optimism regarding Sino-Indian relations.  China 's assistance in the establishment of a second M-11 missile plant at Fatehjang in Pakistan , news of which appeared coinciding with the Indian President's visit, provides strong clues to China 's intentions vis-à-vis India .

 

 

India 's threat assessments should truthfully incorporate the Chinese policies. India can ill-afford to repeat the Nehruvian errors in its policies towards China . The country needs to be sensitized to fact that China is strategically focussed on the containment of India and that Sino - Indian relations continue to be uneasy; however, without being oblivious to these factors, India should strive for an improvement of bilateral relations.

 

 

 

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