Reading Chinese

The visit of the Chinese defence minister to India once again reflects the reality of the changes in Sino-Indian relations over the past 15 years. The Chinese military, in fact, sought closer defence contacts since the 1980s largely because it was engaged in its own military modernisation and perceived the Indian defence forces as one of the most professional in the world from which it could gain through closer interaction. The two countries carried out their first ever military exercises off the coast of Shanghai last November. High-level contacts between the defence establishment and military delegations have been on the increase since the early 1990s after the 1993 agreement.

While reservations on both sides remain on the extent to which cooperation in security matters can be taken forward, there are clear advantages for both in raising the profile and substance of these relations. China8217;s strategic relationship with Pakistan naturally continues to be a major source of concern because of its negative implications for our short and long-term security calculus. But we also need to note that Pakistan has also created a new strategic dilemma for China by its transfer of nuclear weapon technology to North Korea, placing Beijing in a difficult situation. Islamic jihadis and extremists, especially Uighur separatists trained by Pakistan, have created serious difficulties for China.

Closer Indo-China defence ties would help to complement the burgeoning of political and economic/trade relations by reducing residual mistrust on both sides, which have not gone away in spite of the upturn experienced after Rajiv Gandhi8217;s landmark visit to China in 1988. The boundary dispute would take time and patience to resolve. But the demarcation of the Line of Actual Control at an early date would help to formalise peace and tranquillity along the frontier and contribute towards the process of building greater mutual trust. Above all, closer defence contacts would help to forestall the risk of any reversal in the positive tenor of the Indo-Sino relationship that exists today, while ensuring a more balanced assessment of the potential risks that could bedevil it.