Beijing wants ‘business as usual’. But Delhi is having none of it
Categories: FOREIGN COUNTRIES
Adam Smith’s book, The Wealth of Nations, is well-known. His other book, The Theory of Moral Sentiments, though equally influential, is lesser-known. Smith raises a hypothetical scenario of ethical conflict in it, asking what would a European do if the great Chinese empire were to be swallowed up by an earthquake. He would obviously express sorrow, make “melancholy reflections” upon the precariousness of human life, and might also speculate over how this disaster would impact commerce in Europe. “And when all this fine philosophy was over, he would pursue his business or his pleasure, with the same ease and tranquillity, as if no such accident had happened”, Smith concludes. This style is typical of China and has been played out several times in the past. The Peace and Tranquility Agreement of 1993 was also a product of this Chinese trickery. After making incursions into Indian territory in the winter of 1986 at Sumdorong Chu Valley in Arunachal Pradesh, they dug in their heels for seven years before forcing a treaty that provided a principle of peace and tranquillity but didn’t protect India’s sovereign interests. Even that principle has been violated several times subsequently in the last three decades. The Narendra Modi government has effected an important shift in India’s border policy with China that includes, besides proactive diplomacy, strong ground posturing as well. While continuing with the military-led talks over disengagement — 15 rounds of which have concluded — India, during the two-year standoff, also participated in at least eight rounds of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC), a process to address the outstanding border issues. But, it simultaneously kept up ground offensive by deploying men and weapons in large numbers. If the Chinese moved their field guns and military aircraft, India too did the same. On the issue of relations with China, there are hawks and hyper-realists in India. But the current regime has always taken a realistic and pragmatic approach in dealing with its important and troublesome neighbour. Both the EAM and the NSA of India have been able to convey Delhi’s position firmly but politely to Wang, sending him back almost empty-handed.Wang Yi’s reference to cooperation at the multilateral level also included co-opting India on the Ukraine issue. After India abstained from the vote on Ukraine at the UNSC and the UN, both the Russians and the Chinese have tried to project it as India’s support to them. The Russian envoy at the UN, Dmitry Polyanskiy, publicly thanked India clubbing it with China, Kenya and Gabon, “who were brave to withstand US hand-twisting before the vote”. The Chinese media went overboard suggesting it as India’s change of heart.