New normal: Like it or not, foe China is India's frenemy now


There's a bit of China in every Indian's life. From smartphones to heavy electric equipment, China feeds Indian consumption in a big way.
Two weeks ago, speaking at St Petersburg International Economic Forum, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pointed out a fact so obvious yet so much ignored: "It is true that we have a border dispute with China. But in the last 40 years, not a single bullet has been fired due to it." 

PM Modi's observation remains true even as the standoff between India and China in Sikkim on the Bhutan-India-China border lingers on. Despite its bullying and belligerent ways, China is not likely to fire a single bullet at India, more so in the current situation when India-China relations have grown from just 15 years ago when China meant only one thing for India—a possible war. 

Today, it has come to mean trade and investment too. The phrase 'Chindia' gained currency 10 years ago when the world began seeing two Asian countries as engines of global growth. 'Elephant versus dragon' and 'tiger versus dragon' are metaphors used by businesses and economists more than military experts. Economic rivalry between India and China is not always a zero-sum game in a globalised and increasingly interdependent world. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

karbi old song collection