Repeated border intrusions of China may endanger warming up economic and trade relations

Repeated border intrusions of China may endanger warming up economic and trade relations

New Delhi:  China’s president, Xi Jinping, was on a three-day tour of India from September 17 to 19, becoming the first major global leader to visit the country after Narendra Modi became Prime Minister in May this year.  Before Xi’s departure, Beijing also elevated the rank of its ambassador to India to display its intention of improving bilateral relations.

The two leaders have both adopted rational and pragmatic approaches toward their interaction, proven by visits to India by top Chinese leaders such as Xi, Premier Li Keqiang and foreign minister Wang Yi, as well as Modi’s plan to deliver on his election promises of raising employment, building a high-speed railway system and making Indian cities smarter by using China’s economic development model as a reference.

However, warming economic and trade relations between the two regional powers continue to be overshadowed by bilateral territorial conflicts along their borders.

Before Xi’s arrival in New Delhi, Indian authorities announced that they plan to step up infrastructure construction in the disputed area along the border between China and India. India’s president, Pranab Mukherjee, went as far as to sign an agreement with Vietnam during his visit to the country from Sept. 14 to 17, outlining that India and Vietnam intend to jointly explore crude oil reserves in the sea which China of late started a wrong claim.

India’s foreign minister, Sushma Swaraj, further asked Beijing to adopt New Delhi’s “one India” policy in exchange for its recognition of the “one China” policy.

China’s unwillingness to yield on border conflicts with India led to a 21-day military stand-off in the mountainous area of southern Tibet last year. Ahead of Xi’s visit this month, military forces from both China and India have converged in that area again.

Now that Modi has won the premiership through a political platform focused on economic reforms, his governance will undoubtedly include approaches aimed at luring Chinese investments. With Xi’s signing several cooperative agreements with India during his visit, the pacts are expected to help the two countries develop a closer partnership.  China and India may not be allies but they must be good neighbors.