Dear Editor,
China seems to have been bitten by the pragmatic bug. It might be hegemonic but it is not foolhardy. As a realist, it is not surprising that China is now willing to reset its long-term relations with India. For India, the million dollar question is this: Can it rely on and trust China? In the recent past, China has attempted the ‘string of pearls’ strategy to encircle India, which we seem to have checked with our own encirclement policy by building strong relations with Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan and even Australia.
India has sought to command equal respect from China while the latter has sought to downplay India. The Chinese President’s upcoming visit will tell the world how Beijing plans to frame its relations with New Delhi. The world will be watching closely.
Bala Srinivasan
Via web