At last China has come out with its original colour. The bonhomie after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s China visit has not died, yet it has asked India not to carry out any oil exploration in South China Sea without her approval. India’s ONGC Videsh Ltd is involved in oil and gas exploration in the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf of Vietnam. It looks China considers South China Sea as its own fiefdom by claiming 80 per cent of it even though there is no clear demarcation of the geographical coordinates. Even United States had called for an immediate end to China’s reclamation work in the sea. It has termed Beijing’s behaviour as ‘out of step’ under the international laws. China insists it has sovereignty over nearly all of the South China Sea. The diplomatic dynamics what India and China have are just opposite to the ideologies which both the countries carry. The simple fact is that the Sino-Indian relations are now far too important to be allowed to fester as they have. The boundary issue has been a sticking point in relations between two major Asian countries and both making efforts to settle it through discussion which would be most welcome. As we know disagreements are not going to resolve the issues but by revisiting the trade and business routes both nations can benefit from each other. Allowing time as leveller it has to be seen in coming years will the Sino-Indian trade relations grow or the frozen status, which has widened the trade deficit, will prevail. Under such an environment finding a solution to age-old Arunachal Pradesh border issue will always remain unsolved. For too long both the countries have gone on with cynical claim that China’s ties with Pakistan are not aimed at India or that border dispute is left over from history and is best left for the time to solve it. At a time when India is looking to normalise relations a presumption of such a nature coming from China is matter of concern with economic interest growing in Vietnam.
