(TibetanReview.net, Sep03’24) – India and China appear to be warming up to each other, raising the possibility that President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi may meet on the sidelines of either the BRICS summit at Kazan, Russia, to be held over Oct 22-24, or the G20 summit at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to be held over Nov 18-19, according to Indian media reports Sep 1-3. The biggest issue between the two sides remains the ongoing border standoff in eastern Ladakh which began in 2020 and which India insists is the principal obstacle for normalizing their bilateral ties.
It’s not a thaw yet, but there are certainly signs of some warming in the India-China relationship. Of late, there has been an uptick in dialogue to resolve outstanding issues along two friction points in Eastern Ladakh. At the same time, there is a fresh debate underway within India on economic engagement with China, noted an opinion piece posted on ndtv.com Sep 3.
The piece referred to the increased frequency as well as friendliness of the meetings between the two sides on the border issue. It also referred to India becoming more open to investments from China.
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The deccanherald.com said Sep 1 that Indian and Chinese diplomats were exploring the possibility of a meeting between the two leaders on the sidelines of any of the above two conclaves.
To set the stage for a meeting of the two leaders, the two countries were trying to completely resolve the four-and-a-half-year-long military stand-off along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, the report said. It added that the two sides were close to an agreement for the mutual withdrawal of frontline troops from Demchok, one of the two remaining face-off points along the LAC.
The military commanders of the two sides may soon finalise the modalities of the disengagement at Demchok.
It, however, may take a few more rounds of negotiations to end the stand-off at Depsang, where the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has deployed well inside the territory of India and has been blocking the Indian Army’s access to Patrolling Points 10, 11, 12, 12A, and 13, the report cited sources in New Delhi as saying.
Earlier, protracted negotiations led to the mutual withdrawal of troops by both the Indian Army and the Chinese PLA from some of the face-off points along the LAC, like Galwan Valley, the northern and southern banks of Pangong Tso, Gogra Post, and Hot Springs. However, the stand-off could not be resolved completely so far, the report added.
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Meanwhile, a seemingly innocuous comment by the Spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in India about the effectiveness of Indian medicine has sparked speculation about a possible softening of tensions between the two countries, noted swarajyamag.com Sep 1.
The report said Yu Jing, the spokesperson, had taken to social media to commend Indian medicines that cured her sore throat and neck pain, saying, “Sincerely praise the Indian medicine, which cured my sore throat and neck pain effectively. Good quality at a fair price. Incredible!”
The comment, though simple, comes at a time when India and China are cautiously navigating a path toward de-escalation after a prolonged standoff along the LAC since Apr-May 2020, the report said.
In recent weeks, signs of reconciliation have emerged, it said, noting India’s cautious approval of some Chinese investments that had been on hold for years.
The unexpected public praise for Indian medicine has led to speculation that Beijing may be signalling a willingness to lower the temperature in the bilateral relationship, the report added.