Some Observations on Building New-mode Major Powers Relations between China and India

By Hu Erjie

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Some Observations on Building New-mode Major Powers Relations between China and India

By Hu Erjie

International Strategic Studies PLA Relations University

China and India are close Asian neighbors, but also the world's two biggest developing countries, and the two countries share similarities in the historical, cultural, economic and social characteristics. Since the end of the cold war, the two countries are committed to accelerating development of their national economy, pursuing an independent foreign policy and creating a peaceful international environment, thus, development of China-India relations has become one of the most important bilateral relationships in the world political situation. Since entering the new century, China and India have initiated exploration of building a new-mode major power relations, such efforts have not only opened up a bright future for development of their relations, but also adds a great impetus for the peaceful rise of China and India.

Part I. Building a New-mode Major Powers Relations is the Inevitable trend of the Sino-Indian Relations Development

The establishment of India-China diplomatic ties has been for 60 years, and the bilateral relations has developed through twists and turns, which has experienced friendly honeymoon period in the beginning of 1950's as well as a frozen period of tense confrontation and bloodshed in the 1960s. Since then, China-India relations fell into a long stalemate. It is until December 1988 that India's Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi visited China and adjusted its China policy, so the relationship between the two countries began restoring and improving. The end of the cold war shows a new space for developing China-India relations. Since the 1990s, except for the year1998 when China-India relations retrogressed for a short period due to the India nuclear tests, China-Indian relations basically develops smoothly and rapidly.

(A) Two Opposite Views of Structuring China-India Relations

Since entering the new century, with rapid growth of comprehensive national strength of them both, the world pays greater attention to both China and India with each passing day. Regarding China-India relations in the future, there are two typical but sharply contrasting views. One is the "dragon-elephant competition" theory, and another one is the "China-India coexistence" theory. The former view is pessimistic, a point of view of many western scholars, and believes that rising China and rising India will compete in economic, military areas and so on due to the existing feud and realistic problems, and even the danger of conflict between them still exists. But there are also many scholars who are more optimistic on the development prospects of China-India relations. One of the most representative view is "China-India coexistence" theory. Generally speaking, this idea is initialed by Remesh, a leader of the young MPs of the Congress Party of the ruling coalition government, he created Chindia (translated as "China and India coexistence" in Chinese) in a book in 2005. This word Chindia means China and India achieve common progress and cooperation, both know clearly the differences between them, and always care very much about the need to peaceful and harmonious coexistence" with each other.1The "China-India coexistence" theory argues that economic structure of China and India shares complementarity, the two countries should seize the opportunity to come together to bring into full play the complementary advantages, and both have a glorious history. That is the charm of Chindia.

(B) New-mode Major Powers Relations: the Best Option for China-India Relations

If the "dragon-elephant" theory and "China-India coexistence" theory are the theories of scholars, then the vision for China and India to establish new-mode major powers relations is an inexorable trend of development of bilateral relations. In January 2003, at the Fifth Asian Security Conference in New Delhi, India's Foreign Minister Y. Singh clearly refutes the wrong theory that rising China and rising India will scramble for spheres of influence in Asia, and the China-India conflict is inevitable. In June the same year, India's Prime Minister Vajpayee visited China, the two countries signed the "", which emphatically points out that the two countries will establish "new relationship" on the basis of the original. In April 2005, during Premier Wen Jiabao's visit to India, the two countries signed a joint statement, announcing plans to build a "strategic and cooperative partnership toward peace and prosperity". In 2006, during President Hu Jintao's visit to India, a Joint Declaration signed establishes the China-Indian cooperation "ten strategies", further deepening and consolidating China-India strategic and cooperative partnership. In May 2013 during a visit to India, Premier Li Keqiang emphasized that China and India, based on enhancing strategic mutual trust, further deepen the mutual understanding, build new-mode major powers relations, and promote healthy and stable development of the bilateral relationship, which can be said as "a blessing for Asia, and a blessing for the world".2Premier Li Keqiang’s proposal to build a new-mode major powers relationship between China and India landmarks further deepening China-India strategic and cooperative partnership .

It should be said that to build a new-mode major powers relations is the best option of China-India relations. This is because, compared with the traditional major powers relations, the relations between India and China has is own unique characteristics: One is that, as `the rising developing countries, the two countries share common aspirations for a favorable environment for development, which decides that foreign policy of the two countries cannot be offensive. Two is that, as emerging developing countries, common development challenges of China and India and their different system of choices determine the dual nature of competition and cooperation for the bilateral relations. Three is that from Chinese perspective, China-India relations is a typical representation of the relations between China and major developing countries, so to construct a new-mode relationship with major developing countries is the core proposition a rising China must solve.3

Part II. Internal Impetus for China and India to Build a New-mode Major Powers Relations

It is not an utopian idea for China and India to build new-mode major powers relations, since there are a solid foundation and strong impetus. China-India relations after the cold war successfully achieved three transcendences, and made significant progress in economic cooperation, international order demand and strategic mutual trust and so on, so as to lay a solid foundation to further promote new-mode major powers relations in the new period.

(A) The "three major transcendences"

Since the 1990s, China-India relations have successfully achieved three transcendences, namely "successfully transcending the cold war, successfully transcending the Indian nuclear crisis, and successfully transcending the border disputes",4hence, promoting all-round development of the bilateral relations. "Three transcendences" reflect the l decision-making capability for sizing up the situations and a long-term strategic vision of the leaders of the two countries. India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh points out that the world has enough space for China and India to develop, a rising China is to provide a rare opportunity for other Asian countries including India, China should become a partner instead of a rival of India. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang stresses that generally speaking, major powers usually have rich historical experience and broad mind, which is the foundation for China and India to get to the height and coexist peacefully".5

(B) Economic cooperation

China and India have earned a reputation of "world factory" and "world office" respectively, the two economies are highly complementary, the economic globalization tide and their national development needs further strengthening bilateral economic division of labor and cooperation. Chinese former Premier Zhu Rongji once stressed the China-India economic complementarities, such as India has significant development of software industry while China’s is better in computer hardware. In 2008, China and India had US$ 52 billion total volume of trade, overtaking US$ 45 billion between the U.S. and India; in 2012, China-India total volume of trade was US$ 66.5 billion, thus, China has become the second largest trading partner of India while India become the largest trading partner of China in South Asia. It is hopeful that China and India are to meet the target of US$100 billion bilateral trade by 2015 promoted by leaders of the two countries. At present, sound cooperation between the two countries in the field of engineering projects are achieved, India has become China’s important overseas engineering market, with steady growth in two-way investment. Economic and trade exchanges have become one of the important driving forces to improve relations between the two countries, and are effective means to reduce suspicion, and enhance mutual trust. India scholars point out that sustained economic and trade cooperation has deepened reconciliation between India and China and, as the largest developing country in the world, China’s rapid economic development and increasingly prominent energy consumption demand have created a great room for cooperation between the two countries.6

(C) Aspirations for International Order

China and India are the most dazzling stars in the emerging economies of the world, share many similar aspirations and opinions on building a global political and economic order. In the 1950s, China and India jointly proposed the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, which has become basic norms for the contemporary new-type international relations. Since the end of the cold war, China and India continue to pursue independent and non-aligned foreign policies. Neither country is in favor of applying the outdated "balance of power" or "conflict of interests" views to international relations, and both share similar views on the common problem faced by the development issues in the 21century world, and expect the building of a new world order not to be dominated by the West.7China and India in 2008 put forward the common aspirations and visions for twenty-first Century. Firstly, the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence "should continuously become the basic guiding principles for various countries to develop friendly relations, and for mankind to create conditions to achieve peace and development". Secondly, the ideal international system should be based on openness, inclusiveness and respect of diversities, and "respecting rights to independently choosing social, economic and political development roads by various countries on the basis of ensuring the basic human rights and the rule of law". Thirdly, as an important objective in the new century, democracy and multilateralism in international relations should be constantly promoted, the role of the United Nations be strengthened and the reform of the United Nations be pushed ahead. Fourthly, in the face of opportunities and challenges created by economic globalization, the international community should make concerted efforts to push economic globalization towards balanced and mutually beneficial orientation, and establish an open, fair, equal, transparent and rule-based multilateral trading system. Fifthly, Asian countries are to unite in concerted efforts, and to "build more closely a new regional cooperation structure in Asia, and work together to advance the process of Asian regional integration".8From a practical perspective, China and India in recent years have strengthened cooperation in international affairs. The two sides in the United Nations, the G-20, the BRICS mechanisms carry out coordination to jointly cope with global challenges such as the international financial crisis, climate change, energy and food security, anti-terrorism, and safeguard the common interests of developing countries.

(D) Strategic Mutual Trust

Both China and India are ancient civilizations, and are regarded as two pillars of the Oriental civilizations. The cultures of the two countries have strong intimacy and fusion, there are frequent and extensive exchanges since ancient times, "even the high Himalayas Range cannot be a barrier to the two major civilizations’ attraction to each other and radiance to each other".9

In the present era, both China and India are shouldering great missions to revitalize their own civilization cultures, and under the circumstances of the Western civilization in dominant status, it is necessary to strengthen their exchanges and cooperation and to truly achieve the strategic mutual trust between them in order to strive for more discourse. From the practical perspective, since the cold war, especially since entering the new century, China-India strategic mutual trust has been constantly strengthened. On the one hand, the building of mutual trust mechanism between the two countries has made positive progress. In January 2006, the second strategic dialogue between China and India was held in Beijing, thus, the China-India strategic dialogue has been institutionalized. In May the same year, during India's Defense Minister Mukherjee's visit to China, the two countries signed a. In 2009, to expand channels of communication, a hotline between prime ministers of the two countries was established. In 2010, a joint statement announced the establishment of an exchange-visits mechanism for heads of state, heads of government and foreign ministers, and of a strategic economic dialogue mechanism. On the other hand, the building of mutual trust mechanism between the two countries in the multilateral framework of BRICS, G-20, etc. has made a number of achievements. As Asian neighbors, China has agreed to accept India as an observer for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, while India has agreed to accept China as an observer for SAARC. China and India have frequent interactions under international agenda of the Doha round of WTO talks, global climate negotiations, and other international mechanisms such as the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and, regional mechanism such as the ASEAN Regional Forum. As India's former ambassador to China Raccio said that at the crucial moment of the global innovation and changes, India and China must work together.10

Part III, Factors Hindering China and India in Building New-mode Major Powers Relations

Building a new-mode major powers relations is the best option for China-Indian relations, and the two countries have a profound basis and powerful impetus for realizing this idea, but ultimate realization of this idea is bound to go through a long and difficult process, so we can never expect to accomplish it at one stroke, or "accomplish a whole task at one stroke". At this stage, there still exist many restricted factors for building a new-mode major powers relations between China and India, among which the most prominent ones are the geo-security factors, the third country factors and populism factors.

(A)The geo-security factors

Regarding regional security, there exist problems left over by history such as border conflicts and Tibet matters between China and India, there is also pragmatic game-play such as the Indian Ocean strategic competition. From evolution features of the modern international politics, two adjacent big neighbors, with similar strength and problems, even if there is a boundary recognized by international law, it is still difficult to say that the bilateral relations with a high mutual trust can be established.11One, conflicts broke out due to the boundary problem between the two countries, so far the boundary problem is yet to be solved. The reason that the boundary problem is long-term and difficult solution is because it is not only related to the important political and strategic interests, but also related to the people's national sentiment. Since the 1990s, especially since entering the new century, with joint efforts of the two countries, China-India boundary problems has become eased, but is still a great distance away from the final solution. Two, India's position and attitude on the China’s Tibet matters directly affect development of the bilateral relationship. In 2003, China and India reached important consensus on the Tibet-related matters, "India acknowledges that Tibet is a part of the People's Republic of China territory, and reiterates that political activities against China by Tibetans inside India are not allowed",12but whenever there emerge some problems in the bilateral relations, Tibet-related matters will get surfaced, and become an important factor hindering the construction of a new-mode major powers relationship between China and India. Three, the existence of Indian Ocean strategic interests competition between China and India. India’s geographical advantage bestows its "mission in leading Indian Ocean", and will view China as a long-term threat to its interests in Indian Ocean. India announced in 2004 the Ocean Principles stressing "China’s aims to strategically encircle India". India stated in 2007 the Freedom to Use the Seas: India’s Marine Military Strategy that China’s Navy is attempting through modernization the transformation into a blue water navy, and hoping to gain strategic foothold in Indian Ocean region.13Indian Government and military have a high alert on China’s activities in Indian Ocean region, and expresses doubts, suspicions and improper comments, and even follows Americans to clamor for "China’s pearl chain strategy" regarding Chinese Navy-escort, assisting Pakistan, Burma and Sri Lanka build ports in Indian Ocean.

(B) The third state factors

The two countries that have biggest impacts on development of China-India relations are the United States and Pakistan. Since entering the new century, the U.S. intentions to "associate India to restrain China" is clear, and continuously takes actions. In a cable in December 2006 released by Wikileaks, then U.S. ambassador to India Mulford made a full exposition on "associating India to restrain China" strategy as follows, although India will never have as strong military as China, its men-transportation capability should not be overlooked. By pulling the India into the U.S.-Japan-Australia alliance, the United States is benefited by the formation of a geo-political democratic encirclement in the Asian region.... The U.S.-Japan-Australian partnership brings the United States to the west coast of the Pacific Ocean, but India’s participation would make the U.S. presence in South Asia; and the rising India should be used as a part of our global strategy.14In recent years, the United States and India have strengthened coordination on security issues in the Asia-Pacific region. Among them, the U.S.-Japan-Indian trilateral strategic dialogue has become one of the important platforms. Russian media argues that with the help of this platform, the three countries try to find political and diplomatic resources to contain China.15In October 2012, the third U.S.-Japan-India trilateral dialogue was held in New Delhi, Americans urged the ally Japan to upgrade its security capability, while also hopes India to assume more responsibilities on security. The India Times says the U.S. Asia-Pacific strategic shift targets at "the Chinese", and India will be a U.S. "hard-working" partner in the region.16India strategic analysts argue that the Chinese hard attitude on the South China Sea dispute and the U.S. relative declining strength will make the United States strengthen relations with India and Japan. Without a doubt, India, proceeding from its own interests, finds it difficult to truly cooperate with the United States to deal with China, but the U.S.- India strategic approach will undoubtedly have a negative impact on development of China-India relations.

Another third country having a major impact on China-India relations is Pakistan. China, India and Pakistan have become inseparable since Pakistan was independent of India in1947. "The China-Pakistan collusion to curb India" view has been influencing India's strategic culture.17In order to develop new-mode relations with India, China's South Asian policy since the end of the cold war has changed in three aspects as identified by Indian scholars. Firstly, getting more "balanced" between India and Pakistan. Secondly, the Kashmir issue between India and Pakistan as a bilateral issue must be resolved in a non-violent way. Thirdly, keeping "independent in the India-Pakistan conflict".18But strategically, China still firmly supports Pakistan. On China-Pakistan relationship, India suspects that it is targeted at India, and complains that China is not "sensitive enough" on India's "security concerns".

(C) The populist public opinion

In addition to geo-security and third countries factors, development of China-India relations is also affected by the national public opinions, especially some Indian media promote the "Chinese threat" from time to time, forming a certain restraint on the Government efforts of India to improve relations with China. Chinese Government pays much attention to the relationship with India, but the Chinese people are lack of the understanding of India. India's former ambassador to China Menon argues that if there is a factor hindering development of bilateral relations, it may be we don’t care enough about issues of concerns by the other side, and short of mutual understanding. Chinese old views of India seem to have the upper hand, and it is the same with Indian views on the Chinese.19as China Ambassador to India Sun Yuxi also argues that the biggest obstacle for the Sino-Indian relations is lack of enough understanding between peoples of the two countries. Many Chinese people often get understanding of India only through news reports, and have no understanding of Indian agriculture, software and high-tech achievements made in recent years, etc.20To some extent, the Indian impressions of the Chinese society is a just mosaic of some static and superficial impressions. In this regard, some Indians are very dissatisfied, and even believe that if India acts as U.S. means to counter China, China may respect India more strategically and abandon its superiority over India.21

Part IV. Significance of Building a New-mode Major Powers Relations between China and India

As the world's two emerging powers with the highest potential and the strongest development momentum, China-India relations have gone beyond the bilateral scope, and shown a wide-ranging regional and global significance. In view of this, understanding of great significance to construct the new-mode major powers relations between China and India is understood to be made at the country, regional and global levels

(A) At country level

China is India's largest neighbor while India is China’s second largest neighbor, to establish "new-mode major powers relations" between China and India is needed to realize their peaceful rise. The rising concept of China and India is based on the fact of economic development and growing influence of the two countries since the 1990's although one’s development comes earlier. Some people like to use the rise of the two countries as the same kind of phenomenon, and call it "the rise of China and India". And some other people focus more on development potentials and prospects for the two. From the perspective of peaceful rise of China and India, to build "new-mode major powers relations" is the route the two countries must take for the bilateral relationship. Scholar Zhang Weiwei summarizes eight main features of China as a "civilized nation" as follows: super-large population, super-vast landmass, super-long historical tradition, and super-profound cultural accumulation; as well as the unique language, unique politics, unique society and unique economy.22In opinion of the author, these eight characteristics are basically applicable to India. Because of large scale, and unique national conditions of China and India as well as the current global situation, their rising process is a very complex process or even difficult process prone to crisis, which needs a peaceful and stable international environment and a neighborly surrounding environment. As neighbors with significance to each other, new-mode major powers relations between China and India bears great significance for maintaining sound international and surrounding environment. It is imaginable that with construction of new-mode major power relations, the two countries will further enhance mutual understanding, strengthen trust in security and defense fields, achieve mutual benefit and win-win progress in economic construction, and learn from each other in social development, and give mutual support to each other in international affairs, which will formulate a major impetus for China and India to achieve peaceful rise.

(B) At regional level

China and India are most influential countries respectively in East and South Asia, a new-mode major powers relationship established by the two countries contribute to stability in the Asia-Pacific region and the early arrival of the Asian century. As early as in December 1988, Deng Xiaoping, meeting with visiting Prime Minister Lajiv Gandhi of India said that there is no Asian century if China and India are not developed. A Real Asia-Pacific Century or Asian century is not arriving until China, India and other neighboring countries are developed.2326-- From the economic perspective, due to economic rise of China and India, the global economic focus shifting to the Asia-Pacific region has become a major fact attracting people's attention in the early part of the 21st century, while "a new-mode major powers relationship" built by China and India will further tap economic potential of the two newly emerging economies, bringing forward the Asian region's sustained economic prosperity and growth. From the security perspective, the current security situation in Asia is generally stable, but the local turbulent and unstable factors still often get fermented. In East Asia, the Diaoyu Islands disputes, the South China Sea matters, and the DPR Korea nuclear issue crop up one after another, especially other traditional security issues such as the national sovereignty and territorial disputes become more prominent. In South Asia, terrorism is rampant, security situation in Pakistan, Afghanistan and others is worrying. Under this circumstances, China-India neighborly relations and common development have become the significant factor for stability in Asia. In May 2013, Premier Li Keqiang had a signed article published in Indian newspapers pointing out that the world expects Asia to become the engine for the global economy, which cannot be separated from the 'two horses' pulling by China and India; if Asia is to become the anchor for world peace, which needs concerted efforts by China and India. If there is no harmonious coexistence and common development of China and India, the two most populous countries of the world, neither will there be the expected Asian century.24

(C) At the global level

Due to the rapid growth of economic aggregate and the comprehensive national strength of China and India, China and India are regarded as candidate countries succeeding the United States in leading the global system, the international community has given special attention to the development of China and India. In the face of close attention worldwide, to build China-India new-mode major powers relations has broken through the average significance of bilateral cooperation, but has multiple significance (such as "peaceful rise", "competitive coexistence" and "seeking common development interests"). Firstly, both China and India are major developing countries, how to break the traditional paradigm of the rise of major powers, and to pursue new-mode major powers relations featuring peaceful rise and common development, are jointly faced historical proposition by the two countries. Secondly, if China and India, as the two dazzling stars among the emerging economies collective, can take a lead in building a new-mode major powers relations, which has a sound exemplary role and demonstration role for other emerging powers, and is also helpful to enhance influence and status of emerging economies collective in the global system. Thirdly, the rising China and India economically has brought greater pressure to the U.S.-led western system, how to restructure the major powers relations and rebuild the international order in the times of power shift becomes the major questions for great powers of the world to think and to seek answers. Some western scholars not only believe that it is difficult to avoid conflicts between the rising China and rising India, but also propagate inevitability of contradictions and conflicts between them. Under this conditions, to establish new-mode major powers relations between China and India is helpful to solve the western power political rhetoric on "inevitable conflict brought about by power transfer", and to demonstrate to the world the essence of peaceful rise of China and India. From practical perspective, with gradual establishment of China–India new-mode major powers relations, China and India will achieve closer coordination and cooperation in the BRICS mechanism, the UN mechanism, the G-20, the multilateral trading system, reform of the international financial system, climate change negotiations, etc., and plays a more and more important and positive role in major agenda of global governance, and guide the world towards a just and reasonable direction.

1.J. Remesh, Understanding CHINDIA: Some Observations on China and India (M), Ningxia People Press, 2006, 168.

2.Wu Lejun, Li Keqiang’s Speech at the Indian World Affairs Council tresses the grasp of China-India strategic cooperation new opportunities, People’s Daily, May 22, 2012.

3.Qu Fengjie, China-India Should Break Through the Traditional Paradigm in Building New-Mode Major Powers Relations (N), China Economist, February 19, 2013.

4.Song Deli, China-India relations in the 21st Century: India’s Fundamental Strategic a Concerns and Logics Starting Point (J), South Asia Studies, 2007(2): 7.

5. Li Keqiang, Shanking Hands across the Himalays (N), Oversea Edition, People’s Daily, May 21, 2013.

6.Qian Hongliang, Yang Guanghai, China’s Peaceful Rise and Neighboring Countries Understanding and Reaction (M), Junshiyiwen Press, 2010, p.150

7.Zhang Guihong, A Study on China-U.S.-Indian Trilateral Relations (M), Shishi press, 2013, pp.80-81

8.The Joint Vision on the 21st Century by China and India, People’s Daily, January 15, 2008.

9.Li Keqiang, Shanking hands across the Himalays (N) .

10. Yuan Ying, The Rise of India and China Show the Returning Glorious History-interview to Indian Ambassador to China (J), Commerce Magazine, 2008 (13), p.23.

11.Zhao Gancheng, India: A Major Power Status and Major Power Diplomacy (M), Shanghai People’s Press, 2007, 217.

12.Declaration on Relations Principles and Comprehensive Cooperation between China and India (EB/OL), http://www.gov.cn/test/2005-06/30content_11188.htm. June 30, 2005.

13.Integrated Headquarters, Ministry of Defense (Navy), “Freedom to Use the Seas: Indian’s Marine Military Strategy,” p.41.

14.The United States Supports India to Counter China’s Model （N）, Global Times，April26，2011.

15.Russian media article， The U.S.-Japan-India Trilateral Dialogue Sets a Platform to Contain China（EB/OL）, http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2011-12/23c_122473019.html. December 23, 2011.

16.Liao Zhengjun, Ge Yuanfen, Liu Yupeng, The United States and India Upgrade their Relations to Balance China, and Promise to Sell Advanced Weapon to India (EB/OL). http://military.people.com.cn/GB/18101016.html. (June 7, 2012)

17.Dong Jianxue, China-India Relations in the Post-Cold War Period: Normalization and Strategic Harmony（J）, South Asia Study, 2005 (2), p.12.

18.Song Deli, China-India Relations in the 21st Century: India’s Fundamental Strategic Concerns and Logics Starting Point

19.India-China Relations: the Current Situation, Future Prospect and the Existing Problems, Indian Ambassador to China Speech at the World Study Center， Xinhua News Agency， March 16，2001.

20.China and India Shaking Hands attract World Attention (EB/OL) http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2005-03/31/content_2767153.html. March 31, 2005.

21.Lan Jianxue, China-India Relations in the Post-Cold War Period: Normalization and Strategic harmony（J）, South Asia Study, 2005 (2), p.11.

22.Zhang Weiwei, China Shakes (M), Shanghai People’s Press, 2011, p.64.

23.Deng Xiaoping Selected Works No. 3, (M), People’s Press, 1997, p.283.

24.Li Keqiang, Shanking Hands across the Himalays .