Both praise and caution for Beijing from Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi did some tightrope walking on China when he hailed that country’s economic progress as an “inspiration” but also remarked that India would “work with countries in the region and beyond… to ensure that our commons ocean, space and cyber remain avenues of shared prosperity, not become new theatres of contests”. The second was a clear reference to the growing tensions in the South China Sea between countries in the region and China over sovereignty. Mr Modi made these remarks at the prestigious ‘Singapore lecture: India’s Singapore Story’ on Monday soon after his arrival in Singapore from Malaysia. The Prime Minister’s position is in keeping with the clarity of thought that has come about since his Government took over 18 months ago on the country’s policy regarding the disputes in South China Sea. New Delhi has made it abundantly known that it will work with nations in the Southeast as well as those from far such as the United States, which has shown a greater level of involvement in recent months in the region’s affairs, to ensure that maritime disputes do not shut the doors on countries that have a legitimate right to use the resources available for their economic prosperity. India has also hinted that China’s muscle-flexing in South China Sea will not be accepted. New Delhi’s desire to counter Beijing’s belligerence is evident from the tremendous emphasis the Modi Government has been giving to building and strengthening bridges with Southeast and East Asian countries. India’s attitude today is markedly different from the past when Governments preferred neutrality, leaving countries facing China’s aggression wondering where New Delhi stood. Mr Modi minced no words when he observed that cooperation and collaboration should be built “not on the strength of a few but on the consent of all”. But he also softened the blow a bit by remarking that the “world looks to China to help advance global and regional peace and stability”.
All this does not demonstrate that the Modi regime will turn hostile to Beijing. On the contrary, New Delhi believes that deepening relations — both economic and cultural between India and China could help in the process of de-escalating tensions in the South China Sea. Mr Modi was not miserly in his praise for China’s economic transformation. At the lecture, he said that “China’s rise has driven the global economy” and that both India and China can “reinforce each other’s progress”. Elsewhere, on a visit to Shanghai, Union Minister for Home Affairs Rajnath Singh expressed similar sentiments of cooperation between China and India. He said that both nations could bring about a sea change for the entire world if they worked in more enhanced tandem. Put together, India-China relations are proceeding in the right direction. Now, if only the border disputes between the two can be resolved with a higher level of urgency...