Sino-Indian cooperation

A pathway to regional peace

For two emerging powers to come together in the interest of regional peace is not a common spectacle. The growing economic partnership between India and China is an unforeseen development. It is an indication that states are getting mature and have started taking rational decisions. Due to their emerging ties, the regional atmosphere will eventually head in a positive direction. Functionalism is taking up colours in the Asian continent whereby the two states are translating their interdependence into cooperation.

India and China, the world’s two most populous countries have been engaged in the biggest border conflict since decades, which has resulted in frictional relations between them. But recently, the arrival of Chinese President Xi Jinping in India on 17^th September, 2014, has not only gained regional attention but global attention too due to the fact that it was a historic and significant visit — first visit of a Chinese President to India in eight years. Both states, being the world’s factory and global service provider respectively, have the aptitude for partnership in high technology, investment and financial services. The two Asian giants have decided to expand and escalate the cooperation between them by discussing and then resolving areas of common concerns. The topics under discussion included investment of billions of US dollars in India in the next five years, cooperation in agricultural, IT and pharmaceuticals products, updating existing railways and development of infrastructure in India, all of which will eventually turn their conflicting relations to friendly ones.

Moreover, both of them have decided to contribute in the Silk Road Economic Belt, to speed up the construction of Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) Economic Corridor to connect Kunming with Kolkata, to facilitate each other in regional and sub-regional cooperation, and to instigate regional growth which will in turn open the door of benefits to all people in the region. In short, the mainly focused issues were of infrastructure, energy and water, constituting 20 expected agreements. China has also agreed to locate and invest in an industrial park in Gujarat state which is also a signal that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s goal of linking India to East Asian supply networks is in compliance with China.

Due to the vivid shift in the economy since last several decades, China has been pursuing soft power. The term“soft power” has nowhere been as extensively used as in China and it is now a familiar story to all that China is strongly undertaking efforts to enhance its image at international level. Its “face” is of much concern and a matter of prestige. Consequently, China would not want any other power in the same region to rise against it and therefore in contrast to US hard power strategy it is using diplomacy and soft power to turn its regional rival and competitor into a friend. This appealing image of China is a threat to US interests and policies in the Asian region.

Both Asian hegemons have their particular interests in the economic and bilateral relations. China on one hand wants its economy to flourish and this can occur if there will be maintenance of peace in the region. On the other, it is developing relations with all other countries including Russia, in order to reduce the influence of Japan, Taiwan and US in the region. China intends for Asian states to subordinate their interests to those of China, instead of looking to the US for their regional solutions.

India alsowants to lessen the US influence in the region and it wants to counter China too, but it has a more liberal approach. In contrast to Japan’s hostile policy towards China, India is dwelling more upon cooperation. Only in this way, it believes, can US impact in the region be reduced, eventually leading to the rise of an absolute regional hegemon.

In addition to the geostrategic and geopolitical significance of Asia, it has four nuclear powers. Security is the prime concern in this nuclear armed belt because any escalating conflict can lead to the outbreak of war. The chances of war will be less if there is peace and security in Asia. When two regional hegemons will cooperate, their border conflicts will eventually find a way to resolution.

Where there is cooperation, there is interdependence. China and India being interdependent, they cooperation will be a success. This will lead to a balance of power and, subsequently, the end of nuclear arms race. Their cooperation will have a global impact too, in a way that peace and cooperation in the region will create an atmosphere of mutual deterrence. Any state outside the region will have an impression that if it plans to attack a state in the Asian continent, it will have to face the entire region as a whole.

Due to the gap between the two states’ socio-cultural understandings, a much more concerted effort is required to bring about sustainable cooperation. However, once it gets started, it will surely find a way to peace and security for the entire Asian continent.