Welcome moves by India and China

The patient, gradualist approach to improving ties straddling a process of de-freezing relations, getting these back to a normal working order, and then moving forward in diverse fields to add value to the overall relationship, has paid rich dividends. What is extremely important to note is that there has been a de-prioritisation of issues, beginning with the most torrid and intractable border disputes being set aside to make room for different other concerns of relationship where progress could be made easily. And this, with the possible concomitant benefit of creating an ambience for taking up some of the contentious issues downstream.

The Vajpayee visit to Beijing has yielded ten accords between the two countries envisaging expanded cooperation topped off by consultation in a wide gamut of arrears. There are many firsts in the score-card. This is for the first time that a joint declaration has been issued simultaneously from New Delhi and Beijing as a crowning culmination of the agreements signed which themselves number the highest ever between the two countries. The joint declaration besides being a maiden one is blissfully free from any diplomatic fudge in that it has kept from emphasising differences. Secondly, all future talks on the border issue stand upgraded from the level of technocrats to that of special political envoys reflecting thereby a new earnestness to tackle the problem with a combined political will -- for the first time.

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But what is remarkable about the quality of the outcome of Vajpayee's contacts with the new Chinese leadership is another first, a historic one at that. India has for the first time formally recognised Tibet as part of the People's Republic of China. Even though there is a nuanced interpretation that India differentiates between the Tibet autonomous region and the whole of Tibet, the Indian recognition of Chinese suzerainty there is regarded as a big step forward in coming to terms with each other on a delicate issue. With Dalai Lama wishing to see greater autonomy inside Chinese borders and hoping that the increasing trust between India and China could resolve what remains of the Tibetan issue, one can look forward to an early tripartite reconciliation in that region.

India doesn't come empty-handed either. As for the northeast Indian state of Sikkim, China has agreed to recognise the Nathu la frontier point as a 'border pass' between the two countries with bilateral trade poised to start through it any day. Many regard this as a quid pro quo for Indian recognition of Tibet as part of China.

India and China have set an example of how from a zero-sum game a dialogue between two historically and implacably inimical countries can be elevated to a point of effective value addition by taking up economic, trade and cultural cooperation issues ahead of the difficult outstanding problems that could wait without spelling end of the world for the two countries anyway.

The most creative part of the unfolding scenario of a rapprochement between Beijing and New Delhi is how they sought to soften the issue of border conflict by a give-and-take approach to resolving the differences over Tibet and Sikkim. In case of the latter, the designation of a border pass in Sikkim as a trading route by Beijing has meant a clear-cut recognition of the international border between Sikkim and China -- at that point.

We are heartened to see India and China try and reconcile their differences in a gradient manner featured by maturity and statesmanship. Both Beijing and New Delhi being our close friends their progress towards better ties is welcomed by us. We are hoping their improved relationship would serve as a robust factor for stability in Asia.