The Hindu : Front Page : “Bring Russia into India-China-U.S. equation”

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jan 24, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Front Page

Front Page

“Bring Russia into India-China-U.S. equation”

G. Krishnakumar

It has to be quadrilateral while formulating broader principles of cooperation: N. Ram

— Photo: Vipin Chandran

Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu N. Ram addresses a `Conference on the India/China/USA Triangle' in Kochi on Wednesday. Others (from left) are: John Garver of Georgia Tech University, U. S.; Wang Yijiang of Tsinghua University, China; Hu Shisheng, Director of South Asia Studies, CICIR, China; Roderick Macfarquhar of Harvard University, U.S.; J. Panda, Associate fellow of IDSA; and Subramanian Swamy, former Union Commerce Minister. - PHOTO: VIPIN CHANDRAN

KOCHI: Russia has to be brought into the India-China-U.S. equation, N. Ram, Editor-in-Chief, The Hindu, said on Wednesday.

Participating in a discussion on ‘Sino-Indian Relations and the U.S.’ held as part of the international conference on ‘India-China-U.S.A. Triangle’ here, Mr. Ram said it had to be quadrilateral especially if “you are formulating broader principles of cooperation.”

He said: “If these three countries can cooperate, show cause why, given the strong links, Russia should not be brought into the equation.”

Improvement in ties

Describing Russia as very important for both China and India, Mr. Ram said the relationship with Russia, which had declined in the case of India for a long time, now bounced back.

Pointing out that a resurgent Russia with a powerful leadership was throwing challenges in the international arena, Mr. Ram said the rebalancing of international relations or at least regional relations, bringing in Russia as well in many ways including energy and defence cooperation and also in the political sphere on issues of Iran, would make a profound difference today.

Defining event

Pointing out that the defining event in India-China relations came about at the initiative of Deng Xiaoping, Mr. Ram said the Chinese leader gave the message about the need to get together to Foreign Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1979 and to Rajiv Gandhi in December 1988 particularly on the boundary question, which was a great obsession in India at that point of time.

“I remember it like yesterday Deng saying to Rajiv Gandhi and earlier to Vajpayee as well that by all means let us try to resolve this question. But if we cannot, Deng said, let us put it to the side and go along improving relations all around. While it was difficult for the political India to swallow those words, that is exactly what has happened over time.”

Giving credit to successive governments for seeing the light in India-China relations that many people were advocating earlier and building them extremely well, Mr. Ram said the only residual issue seemed to be how to manage the line of actual control.

“There is no line. In a sense, it is a reality but also perception,” he said.

Referring to the document “A Shared Vision for 21st Century,” signed during the recent China visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Mr. Ram said the agreement on ensuring sustainable development of both countries against the backdrop of increasing uncertainties in the global economy was one of the key formulations. The second key formulation was that this partnership “will have a positive influence on the future of the international system.”

Suggesting that this vision had to be taken forward, Mr. Ram said trade between the two nations was galloping ahead. He said trade targets had been met two years ahead of schedule. “I am sure that the target of $60 billion will be overfulfilled by 2010.”

Referring to the boundary issue, Mr. Ram said it was not going to be resolved any time soon. The progress had been at snail’s pace since the exercise was undertaken in 1988 although both governments had instructed and re-instructed their special representatives to accelerate the pace.

Mr. Ram pointed out that it would be very hard for any Indian government if the settlement came assuming that it would involve some kind of transfer of population and ceding territory.

Recommending that Indian foreign policy should give up the tilt towards the U.S., he said much of the concerns in India particularly of the Left with government policies related to the idea of strategic partnership with the U.S.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page