Jun. 8 – As the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit comes to a close, it has become increasingly clear that China and India have actively been trying to reinvigorate bilateral ties. After years of “hiccups” in their relations, Chinese and Indian officials have taken the opportunity to discuss the ways in which they can expand cooperation in new areas.
On the sidelines of the SCO summit this week, Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna met Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi to discuss the state of Sino-Indian relations. The two countries confirmed they would touch on the issue of trans-border rivers, and the potential to establish more consulates in each other’s regions. Both China and India have expressed a keen interest to open official diplomatic consulates in cities that have a high-number of their native companies.
“The External Affairs Minister’s observation is that the relationship is going more smoothly than before, and Yang Jiechi agreed with him,” said Indian Ambassador to China S. Jaishankar.
In a further show of goodwill, four Indian navy ships will dock in Shanghai next week – marking a key step in building trust in the maritime domain amid China’s increasing assertiveness in the South China Sea and Indian Ocean. Krishna and Yang also discussed the future of maritime relations, with a meeting soon to be held aimed at increasing cooperation in seabed research and in combating piracy.
These developments in Sino-Indo ties come at a time when the United States has been actively trying to improve its relationship with India to support its pivot towards the Asia Pacific. India, however, has not been as susceptible to U.S. pressure. For example, Krishna tried to dispel the belief that India’s foreign policy is influenced by the United States by citing India’s support of the international North-South transport corridor – a project which is opposed by the United States.
During U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta’s recent visit to India, he expressed that India could act as a “lynchpin” in the strategic U.S. pivot towards the Asia Pacific. India, however, has not been very forthcoming with this offer. Instead, India is more interested in purchasing U.S. arms, and would rather follow its historical tendency to not align itself with major powers.
During Panetta’s visit, senior Indian officials made it clear that India will set its own security priorities apart from the United States.
“We’ll never be an alliance partner with the U.S.,” said Lalit Mansingh, a former Indian Ambassador to Washington. “The limit is a partnership.”
Demonstrating intelligent diplomacy, India is trying to strategically place itself between the regional competition of the United States and China, rather than overtly aligning with either side. India has to find the middle ground between its prosperous relationship with the United States and the growing threat of China’s regional power.
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India has no reason at all to be wary of the American presence in the Asia Pacific region. On the contrary, India should welcome a strong US presence.
@Carlos de Souza: While there are definitely reasons why India would benefit from an increased US presence in the region, there is still one major overarching reason why they are wary: US-Sino competition. India is afraid that the US pivot backs towards the Pacific will unnecessary increase tensions between China and the US. Increased militarisation of the Pacific is something they don’t want to see.
A conflict between two major regional powers is something India definitely does not want. India is currently strategically stuck between the US and China – they cant risk upsetting either party; the US for obvious reasons, and China because they don’t want to have an adversarial relationship with a future superpower, or atleast the regional hegemon (not to mention the importance of their bilateral trade).
So they ask themselves, how would they benefit from an increased US military presence in the Pacific? They have to be able to leverage their position between the US and China, and in my opinion they have been doing that quite well. They know the US needs them as a regional ally (both in the Pacific, and in Central Asia), and they know that China doesn’t want them to become a US regional ally. By increasing their ties with China, and upholding a strong dialogue with the US without completely aligning with their strategic ‘pivot’, they place themselves in an advantageous position.
India playing the US against China. There are some very skilled Indian diplomats in both countries ensuring India gets the best from both.
Here’s a 3rd view. Politics have no friends only interest. The US is no different & this is excellently summarised by Mohan Guruswamy, the founder of the Centre for Policy Alternatives, a nonpartisan New Delhi-based think tank, who declared succinctly, that “The U.S. doesn’t understand friendships. The U.S. understands alliances in which it’s the top dog.”
Indian rulers have no illusions. As a fast growing economic & military power in the East, it does not need a rocket scientist to see that the US is just as apprehensive about India’s rising challenge to its hegemony. In fact the Americans are internally fuming that India’s foreign policy aligns more with China than often thought – especially in Africa, M. East & Iran in particular. Sooner or later it will have to address this problem with India. But for the moment, it suits them to de-stabilize the Chindia relationship by encouraging tension & mistrust between these two neighbours (divide & conquer – compre?).
@W. Tseng: that’s a great quote! And well said
I concur with that view. Chinese and Indians have long worked together in the Asian, African and Latin American diaspora, although the functions remain slightly different, the Chinese tend to control commerce, the Indians insert themselves into Government. I’m not sure beyond a generation or two how much patriotism they feel towards their respective Motherlands, so maybe the Americans don’t have to worry too much. – Chris