Indo-China seminar begins today

This is the first informal dialogue between the two nations since India went nuclear in May last year, and strategic experts from both sides will definitely use the occasion to test the waters. The seminar will debate three broad issues : border and other political disputes, nuclear issues, and, trade and economic cooperation.

Nevertheless, this “track two” dialogue round—-a common feature between experts from India and Pakistan—-isexpected to remain just that. Cheng, a former ambassador to India, and his comrades are unlikely to be received by any senior officials in the Foreign Office during the visit, including External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh.

Singh and Chinese foreign minister Tang Jiaxuan have publicly exchanged cordial notes over Singh’s accession to the Foreign Ministry. So far, however, the Chinese ambassador to India has not been received by Singh. In fact, the Ministry of External Affairs was not interested in picking up the tab for the air-tickets of the Chinese delegation to India.

The reality is that New Delhi is right now in no mood to back down or accede to Beijing’s demands that India disavow its nuclear status. Sources pointed out that “not one week has gone by since the nuclear tests that China has not accused India in one way or another of destroying regional peace and the global nuclear order.”

Here too is a sample of what Jaswant Singh has to say on the relationship with China, in a book by himcalled `Defending India’. In a chapter aptly called `The Future’, Singh says, “…In the absence of any social, cultural, political or economic commonality or interdependence, a bland policy of `improving relations’ with China could, over time, convert into an opiate, consequentially persuading us to mortgage the future yet again for illusions about the present.”

“The Chinese strategic culture remains what it has always been : wedded to domination, not so much through occupation of the (real or political) adversary’s territory, as through a psychological subjugation of mind, an emasculation of the adversary’s response options. India, therefore, needs to poise to itself some unsettling questions.”

Singh’s comment so upset Beijing that the foreign office spokesman officially expressed displeasure over the China-related remarks. Soon after, Sha Zakung, the head of China’s disarmament division in the foreign ministry, accused the US of violating Security Council resolution 1172 and discussing nuclearcooperation with India.

Some US experts have been reported saying that Sha’s comments were “out of line”. New Delhi refused to comment, only watched with quiet satisfaction as some permanent members of the Security Council publicly quarrelled, for the first time since the tests, over its nuclear status.

Interestingly enough, the Indo-Chinese seminar ends only the day before US deputy secretary of state Strobe Talbott will begin the seventh round of talks with Singh on January 29 in the Capital.

Singh continues to, meanwhile, make positive remarks about how both sides are working on dates for the Joint Working Group meeting, but the facts are otherwise. Beijing is still insisting on a preparatory meeting before the JWG, something New Delhi is not prepared to accept.

During their stay here, the Chinese team will attend the Republic Day celebrations, since the nation will be on holiday on January 26. The Government was happy to provide passes to the visitors, knowing full well that the parade willinclude a display of India’s military and missile strength.