EDITORIAL 2: After Wang Yi’s visit, take a stock of India-China bilateral ties
Context
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to India was the first ministerial visit from China since the two countries decided last October to disengage at the border.
India, China in last 6 yrs
- In October 2019, President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Modi met in Mahabalipuram for their second informal summit.
- Just eight months later, the situation had changed dramatically. Indian and Chinese troops clashed violently in Galwan in eastern Ladakh.
- There was a rupture in ties, and India amassed 50,000-60,000 troops on the Line of Actual Control to match with the similar numbers on the Chinese side.
- Over the years that followed, the two armies remained eyeball-to-eyeball at multiple places, and there were reports of confrontations and pictures and reports of infrastructure-building on both sides.
- On October 21, the two sides agreed to complete the disengagement process in the last two remaining locations in Depsang and Demchok. President Xi and PM Modi met in Kazan on October 23 and decided to mend ties.
- Since then, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri have all travelled to China.
Twin-track movement
- The two sides have agreed to move forward on two fronts — border issues and bilateral ties — without allowing one to impact the other.
- The parallel engagement was agreed upon after the 1988 visit of then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi to China, and had been followed until 2020.
- In the dual-track strategy adopted now, India and China have agreed to form at least three new border-related mechanisms.
- An Expert Group under the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) to explore early harvest in boundary delimitation.
- A Working Group under the WMCC to advance effective border management in order to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas.
- General level mechanisms in Eastern and Middle Sectors, in addition to the existing general level mechanism in the Western Sector, and holding an early meeting of the general level mechanism in the Western Sector.
- The two sides also agreed to use the border management mechanisms at the diplomatic and military levels to carry forward the process of border management, and discuss de-escalation, beginning with the principles and modalities.
- Importantly, there is agreement on the need to take a political perspective of the overall bilateral relationship while seeking a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable framework for settlement of the boundary question.
- This aligns with India’s position that the border situation directly impacts bilateral ties.
- On the bilateral front, the two sides have agreed to resume direct flight connectivity at the earliest; facilitate visas to tourists, businesses, media and other visitors; reopen border trade through the designated trading points at Lipulekh Pass, Shipki La Pass, and Nathu La Pass; and facilitate trade and investment flows through concrete measures.
- On trans-border rivers cooperation, the Chinese side agreed to share hydrological information during emergency situations based on humanitarian considerations.
Addressing trust deficit
- The repeated Chinese incursions on the border — Depsang in 2013, Chumar in 2014, Doklam in 2017, and the ongoing border standoff — have impacted trust.
- China’s military cooperation with Pakistan was on display during Operation Sindoor, when the Chinese supplied weapons and live intelligence to the Pakistanis.
- India has concerns with regard to the mega dam that is being built on the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra), which will have implications for lower riparian states.
- India is concerned at China’s export restrictions on rare earths, tunnel boring machines, and fertilisers, which are key to India’s development and food security.
Conclusion
If the new dual track strategy is to be durable, the onus is on Beijing to assuage New Delhi’s concerns.