A phone call away

At the height of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis,legend has it that it took the US nearly 12 hours to receive and decode Nikita Khrushchevs 3,000-word settlement message. The potentially catastrophic consequence s led to a reliable communication link,the famous hotline,being wired between American and Soviet leaders,to instantly clarify the shadowy catalysts of brinkmanship. The agreement inked by External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna and his Chinese counterpart to establish a hotline between India and Chinas premiers may lack that chilling impetus,but it nonetheless marks a different kind of diplomacy.

Indian engagement with China has often oscillated between two extremes: rhetorical romance and aggressive posturing,especially on the risks a rising neighbour poses to our security. Both positions are unhelpful: they risk causing disappointment,or worse. What is needed is constant communication and interaction. In other words,unsentimental engagement,the bread and butter of routine diplomacy,where areas of mutual interest are cemented and disagreements sorted out. The hotline,even if symbolic,makes this point forcefully.

Indias many quibbles range from immediate concerns on Chinas trade surplus,its currency valuation and stapled visas to Kashmiris to long-term sores on boundary lines and on Chinas historic ties to Pakistan. China has its own concerns,notably Indian restrictions on Chinese investments and workers. To not talk it over would be to allow media musings and provocative speeches to dictate the agenda rather than the careful calibrations of diplomacy as has too often happened in the recent past.

Reports suggest that besides setting up a hotline,the AfPak situation was also discussed. This is surely an area of common concern,one where a joint approach might strengthen the hand of each. It is hoped that Krishnas current visit and President Pratibha Patils forthcoming one take this engagement to the next level.