Lesson from Doklam: China and India can still become ‘Chindia’, but only when boundaries are set
Xu Xiaobing says the Sino-Indian relationship of rivalry has also seen cooperative coexistence, especially on the cultural level. But Doklam shows all cordiality hinges on compliance with international law
To begin with, there is a long history of communication between the two countries. The spread of Buddhism from India to China and trade with Europe through the Silk Road are examples of early contact. Today, there is increased bilateral and multilateral cooperation, both inside and outside the BRICS bloc.
It is also true that the two share significant similarities and differences. For instance, they are known as the world’s biggest developing countries, that together account for more than one-third of the world’s population, and are among the fastest growing major economies. But, politically, China is tagged as the largest single-party state while India is the largest democracy.
But despite the competition between the Chinese “dragon” and the Indian “elephant”, the two economies are considered somewhat complementary and have great potential for pragmatic and mutually beneficial cooperation. For example, China is seen as strong in manufacturing and infrastructure, while India is strong in services and information technology.
The Indian film industry, represented by the prolific Bollywood, has in those good times earned numerous fans in China. For example, Delhi-Beijing ties experienced a honeymoon after diplomatic relations were established in 1950. The Bollywood movie Awaara (nominated for the 1953 Golden Palm at Cannes) was introduced to China in 1955 and soon became a big hit. After diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level were resumed in 1976, after a 15-year hiatus, the film was re-released in China in 1978, and the title song Awaara Hoon was sung all over the country. Recent examples include Three Idiots (released in China in December 2011), Baahubali (in June last year), and Dangal (in May). Dangal’s box office collections in China were reportedly twice that in India.
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Unfortunately, ever since the border war in 1962, good times in the Sino-Indian relationship have become rare and prone to be interrupted by confrontations.
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It is quite ironic that China and India are actually the original advocates of the so-called “Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence”, namely, mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity; mutual non-aggression; mutual non-interference in each other’s internal affairs; equality and mutual benefit; and peaceful coexistence.
In essence, the five principles reflect the core of the general principles of international law. In other words, the peaceful coexistence of nations requires their compliance with international law. And such compliance is vital for any normal and healthy bilateral relationship.
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In the Sino-Indian relationship, international law plays a crucial role, too. The stand-off at Doklam was triggered by India, in a clear violation of international law.
This standoff is China telling India to accept changing realities
China and India are both great nations. Each is an ancient civilisation that suffered a long period of colonial or semi-colonial rule and is now en route to national revival.
Craggy and combative as their frontier may still be, there must be paths for Chindia to coexist, and connect in peace and respect. Compliance with international law is an obvious one.
Dr Xu Xiaobing is associate professor of law at Shanghai Jiao Tong University KoGuan Law School