The recently-concluded second informal summit at Mamallapuram underlined the importance of the leadership discourse in India-China relations
After more than a year since the April 2018 Wuhan summit between India and China, the leadership from both countries met again for the second informal summit at the historic town Mamallapuram in the southern State of Tamil Nadu. As both the nations consistently endorse the geo-civilisational framework of their bilateral relations, the coastal city formed the right setting for the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Chinese President Xi Jinping, given its historical significance for both the neighbours. The place boasts strong trade and commerce links going way back to the second century BC between the Pallava kingdom and imperial China. In fact, Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai had also visited the place for a short tour during his trip to India in 1956. In the post-colonial era, the narrative for India-China relations has been built around the expression of Asian-African solidarity at Bandung (1955), Indo-China rapprochement and pragmatism (1989), shared vision for the 21st century (2008) and the objective of the Asian dream (2015). The Wuhan Summit, which took place last year post the Doklam standoff, was an attempt to restore the equilibrium in bilateral relations. It underlined the role of “strategic guidance” to the two militaries from the leadership to maintain peace and tranquility at the border between the neighbours.
In the post-Wuhan timeline, both Modi and Xi have maintained close high-level exchanges with each other, having met at different multilateral platforms and through various meetings. At the global level, both India and China are members of multilateral forums like BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, G20 and Russia-India-China Summit (RIC) sharing common interests in promoting globalisation and opposing trade protectionism. In the bilateral context, the sixth Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED) 2019 reached a “new consensus” on cooperation in policy coordination, infrastructure, energy conservation and environmental protection, high technology, energy and medicine between both. Moreover, at the ninth Financial Dialogue (2019), both the countries aimed to strengthen the framework for macro-economic cooperation and investment. These developments reflect a desire from both sides towards greater alignment in their development strategies for the future.
On defence cooperation, both the countries resumed their Annual Defence Joint Military Exercise ‘Hand-in-Hand’, 2018, in the city of Chengdu, China and will hold it again in December this year in Umroi, Meghalaya. Moreover, two Indian ships visited the Chinese port of Qingdao in April this year to mark the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy in China.
After the Pulwama terror attacks in Jammu & Kashmir, China had backed the UN Security Council resolution condemning the “heinous and cowardly terror attacks” against India, even though initially, its lone opposition in the 15-member Council to any mention of terrorism resulted in a delay of nearly one week in the issuance of the statement. At the RIC Summit, China endorsed the proposal for a “closer policy coordination to eradicate the breeding grounds of terrorism.” On the issue of listing Masood Azhar as global terrorist under UNSC resolution 1267, China finally shifted its position after 10 years, a key breakthrough in bilateral relations, much to the satisfaction of the domestic constituency in India. Despite remaining apart on tactical and strategic issues, these developments do suggest a positive side of bilateral relations.
In the context of bilateral relations, Xi’s recent visit to India holds importance for many reasons. First, it underscores the centrality of the leadership discourse and its importance in bilateral relations under the present regime. In countries as vast as India and China, the leaders derive their strength from their domestic constituencies, which also propels them to keep assuring each other in order to avoid any crisis in the region. Second, the developments in South Asia and China’s inroads in the Indian periphery, including the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), remain a source of concern for New Delhi. This kind of summit allows for better understanding of each other’s intentions in a positive and open manner from the highest leadership, while also making a way forward to a more agreeable framework for a peaceful geo-political space in the region. This also sets a better direction for bilateral relations in the future. And third, the summit holds significance for economic relations between India and China. This forms the biggest strategic asset in bilateral relations. The decision to set up a new high-level economic and trade dialogue mechanism between both will help address India’s concerns on trade deficit and to promote better market access to Chinese markets. Quite notably, both the nations also agreed to deepen the fight against terror financing and reiterated their resolve to deepen exchanges at all levels, including legislatures, cultural and youth organisations.
Global politics remains at the crossroads, with rising protectionism and unilateralism affecting stability. To this, add the rise of Asia and other regional disruptions, which have come with their own set of challenges for both. These uncertainties at the international and regional level do pose a common concern to both China and India. Thus, it is imperative to boost the idea of “developmental partnership” between both and to strive for greater consultation on all matters of common interest, right from the economy to security.
The summit was an important opportunity to deepen dialogue and to promote mutual understanding. The main task before bilateral relations is how to remain more prudent while strengthening channels of communication and coordination on a range of issues. At a time, when the international situation is witnessing re-adjustments, the summit held significance, propelling both nations to look for mutual stability and cooperation in bilateral relations. As was aptly put by Modi at the summit, the “Wuhan spirit had given a new momentum and trust to our ties. A new era of cooperation will begin today through the Chennai Connect.”
(The writer is a PhD in East Asian Studies and teaches at Delhi University.)
