In India-China Thaw, Beijing's Signals For Washington, Pg13

Key Highlights:

• Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, following his absence from the 2023 G20 summit.
• The bilateral meeting between Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the summit signaled a thaw in India-China relations.
• China's participation was primarily aimed at signaling to the United States ahead of Xi's state visit to Washington, D.C.
• India sought to sustain the bilateral thaw for domestic economic reasons and to signal its strategic autonomy to the US.

Detailed Insights:

• The Chinese statement on the meeting was significantly longer than India's, indicating a broader focus beyond just bilateral ties.
• China's statement emphasized "greater BRICS cooperation," the Global South, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, and the G20, using these platforms to address the US.
• India's statement prioritized "peace and tranquility in the border areas," calling for adherence to existing agreements and understandings.
• The Chinese statement also referred to border peace but gave more detail to people-to-people exchanges and multilateral cooperation.
• Both sides agreed to form expert groups to discuss "Early and Substantial Harvest of boundary delimitation and Border Management," though terms remain undefined.
• China urged India to "eliminate interference" and adopt a "dual-track" approach, advancing ties in other areas parallel to border issues.
• Beijing also pressed India to improve the "public opinion base of bilateral relations" and referenced India's "policies and positions on Taiwan and Tibet."
• China's current stance is influenced by its domestic economic situation and the upcoming 21st National Congress of the CPC, necessitating stability with India and the US.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Realpolitik: A system of politics based on practical rather than moral or ideological considerations.
• Strategic Autonomy: A nation's ability to pursue its national interests and adopt foreign policy choices independently.
• Global South: A term referring to countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, often characterized by developing economies.
• Dual-track approach: A diplomatic strategy where two distinct sets of issues are pursued simultaneously, often with different levels of engagement.