India China relations
Background
1950
- On April 1st, 1950, India and China established diplomatic relations.
- India was the first non-socialist nation to forge diplomatic ties with the People’s Republic of China, and the popular slogan “Hindi Chini Bhai Bhai” became associated with the country.
1955
- Both nations attended the Asian-African Conference, which was held in Bandung, Indonesia, and at which 29 nations took part.
- At the conference, they all endorsed the Bandung Spirit, which stands for friendship, solidarity, and cooperation.
- As a result, all of Asia and Africa have been freed from colonial rule, and a Non-Aligned Movement has emerged as a third force mediating between the two superpower blocs.
- The First NAM Summit Conference was held in September 1961 in Belgrade, Yugoslavia.
1962
- Bilateral relations suffered a significant setback as a result of the border dispute.
1976
- Bilateral relations gradually improved as China and India reestablished ambassadorial relations.
1988
- On a visit to China, Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi started the process of normalizing bilateral relations.
- The two parties decided to move forward and actively cultivate bilateral ties in other areas while looking for a compromise on boundary disputes.
Areas of cooperation
Political Relations:
- To establish stability and substance in bilateral relations, the Agreement on the Maintenance of Peace and Tranquility along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) on the India-China Border Areas was signed in 1993.
- Two nations also expanded their military and strategic ties in 2008.
- An agreement was made to open a second route via Nathu La for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.
- A High Level Dialogue Mechanism on Counter Terrorism and Security has also been established by China and India.
- In order to promote communication between Chinese provinces and Indian states, the States/Provincial Leaders Forum was founded.
Commercial and Economic Relations:
- China announced plans to build two industrial parks in India and to increase Chinese investment in the country.
- India granted Chinese nationals access to e-visas
- Different dialogue mechanisms shape trade and economic relationships.
- Strategic Economic Dialogues led by the Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission of China and the Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog; Joint Economic Group chaired by the Commerce Ministers of both sides
Cultural Relations:
- An agreement has been reached between China and India to co-produce films.
- In China, yoga is growing in popularity.
- The UN resolution declaring June 21 as the International Day of Yoga had China as one of its co-sponsors.
Education Relations:
- China and India signed the Education Exchange Programme (EEP), an overarching agreement for mutual educational cooperation.
- Every year, scholarships are given to Chinese students to study Hindi at Kendriya Hindi Sansthan.
Indian Community:
- A significant portion of the approximately 35,500 Indians who currently reside in China are students and working professionals.
- The Pondicherry India China Friendship Association (PICFA) is a non-governmental organization whose mission is to foster people-to-people exchanges in the fields of tourism, culture, and education between India and China.
Recent actions that China taken against India
- Arunachal Pradesh is still claimed by China as Southern Tibet.After renaming six locations in Arunachal Pradesh in 2017, Beijing renamed fifteen more recently.
- China argues that the renaming was necessary because of its historical, cultural, and administrative control over the region; these previous names had been in use since antiquity and had been altered by India during its “illegal occupation.”
- Beijing’s new land border law went into effect on January 1, 2022, giving the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) complete authority to protect Chinese territory and take action against “invasion, encroachment, infiltration, provocation.”
Current state of the relationship between China and India
Soldiers in Ladakh:
- Since the bloody Galwan conflict in 2020, we have been living in constant fear and have paid a high price for the “mirror-deployment” of an extra 50,000–60,000 soldiers in Ladakh
LAC negotiations:
- Local military commanders have been tasked with negotiating the agreement after Sino-Indian diplomatic relations were halted.
Trust for SCO:
- If not for the demands of the approaching Shanghai Cooperative Organization, which seemed to result in a small progress, the 16th consecutive commanders’ meeting would have resulted in yet another pointless conclusion.
- As a result, in Siachen, another buffer zone has been established and the third round of troop disengagement has occurred, this time in the Gogra-Hot Springs region.
Bilateral Trade:
- Thanks to a significant increase in Chinese exports, trade between India and China increased to USD 67.08 billion in the first half of this year, putting it on track to surpass USD 100 billion for the second year in a row.
- “Data from Chinese competent authorities indicates that the value of bilateral trade between China and India was USD 125.66 billion in 2021.China continues to be India’s biggest trading partner, with bilateral trade surpassing USD 100 billion for the first time in 2021.
Concerns regarding the India-China relationship:
- Beijing has not reacted to India’s support for Beijing on international issues; for example, China has opposed India’s permanent membership in the UN Security Council and entry into the NSG.
- India has opposed the Belt and Road Initiative since its inception, citing the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor as evidence of this violation of its sovereignty.
- There is a significant trade imbalance that favours China over India. China’s trade deficit increased significantly to US$62.9 billion in 2017–18.
- After failing to find a solution to their border dispute, two nations gradually built up their armed forces along border regions.
- Chinese military incursions into Indian territory have been reported by Indian media outlets on a regular basis.
- India’s economic and military operations in the disputed South China Sea have alarmed China.
- China’s strong strategic bilateral relations with Pakistan and other neighboring countries like Nepal and Bhutan are cause for concern as these countries act as buffer states.
- Similarly, India is concerned about rising Chinese activities in the Indian Ocean.
What options does India have to look to the future and learn from its past regarding relations with China?
Inevitable Race:
- The ongoing hostility between China and India is a sign of a larger strategic rivalry between the two Asian neighbors.
Quad grouping:
- Following the conflicts, India took a more assertive stance toward the Quad, which consists of the US, Australia, Japan, and India.
- The Quad has held numerous summit meetings and other events. Up until then, India refused to call the grouping the India-Australia-Japan-United States, preferring to refer to it as the cumbersome Quad.
Equal seriousness:
- The military escalation in eastern Ladakh should be taken equally seriously by both parties.
Armed coexistence:
- As a new normal, both parties may continue to live in armed coexistence for an extended period of time even after the current standoff in eastern Ladakh is resolved.
- Given that the forces on both sides are probably fairly balanced, it would be beneficial for both to revisit and enhance the agreements and understandings that were reached starting in 1993.
- Completing the LAC is an essential first step in this endeavor.
Address trade imbalance:
- India has brought attention to the unsustainable trade imbalance at the forefront of the partnership, but it has not received any action.
- China will have to put in some effort to close the trade gap with India. In any case, decoupling will take place selectively, for the same reasons that China is deciding to separate from the US.
- Given the size of both economies, a balanced trade and economic relationship might provide a strong basis for future relations.
Conversation is essential:
- Gaining a deeper comprehension of each other’s regional endeavors via candid communication is crucial for fostering trust.
- India needs the Indo-Pacific vision for development just as much as China may need the Belt and Road Initiative.
- Respect for each other’s unique positions in the western and northern Indian oceans, as well as an open dialogue about each other’s intentions in the major regions of East Asia and the western Pacific, South Asia, and the northern Indian Ocean, are all necessary components of developing trust.
Preserve the core interest:
- In two important alliances—China with Pakistan and India with the United States—the two parties would have to take into account the justifiable interests of the other party.
- These may not be ideal, but neither country will give up its allies under the current conditions, and both China and India could work out a modus vivendi regarding the sensitive areas.