Chennai Connect

The much anticipated second informal summit between Prime Minister Modi and President Xi Jinpingin Mamallapuramhas drawn a lot of traction. Mamallapuram, located on the East Coast Road near Chennai was chosen as the venue for the Summit for a number of historical, practical, strategic reasons, including the trade partnership  initiated by Pallava ruler Narasimhavarman-I from Mamallapuramwith China.This meet cameas a follow up of the first informal summit between India and China at Wuhan in 2018. Both India and China are major players in Asia, who have shared a problematic relationship in the past. China’s strategic rise in South Asia and increasing bonhomie with Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Maldives along with Beijing’s pro-active role in the Indian Ocean Region anda long standing history of border dispute characterize and shape the premise for the relationship. In addition this meet was seen as crucial since it was scheduled in the aftermath of the abrogation of Art. 370 in the state of Jammu and Kashmir and Prime Minister Modi’s mega show of power in the USA.

The strategic relationship between the two Asian giants has seen an acrimonious past for the longest time. Border dispute has been a common domain of conflict between Beijing and New Delhi, which has spilled over to diplomatic conflicts manifested through China’s proactive lobbying against India at UNSC and NSG. China’s constant attempt to advance its footprint in South Asia has been initiated through a mega globalization project, the Belt and Road Initiative which has been designed to realize Xi Jinping’s dream of ‘new springtime’. This has further complicated a relationship already under stress due to a number of reasons.India’s foreign policy under Prime Minister Modi, on the other hand, has seen a push in the impetus to consolidate relations in the immediate neighborhood, the urgency of which has been reinforced by China’s looming presence in the region. This has been instrumental in India’s reinvigorated approach to the neighboring countries where New Delhi projects itself as a balancing factor for Chinese influence.

The informal summits between the two leaders are not exclusive events as Prime Minister Modi and President Xi Jinping have met often at the margins of the various multilateral arrangements wherethey share membership like BRICS, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, etc. The purpose of the informal summit is to primarily lay out the agenda for bilateral understanding in a more amicable environment. However, a cursory recollection of the Wuhan summit where the two leaders met for the first time in such an arrangement clearly upholds a contradictory narrative where subsequently tensions have escalated through factors like China’s enhanced solidarity with its ‘all weather friend’ Pakistan. According to C Raja Mohan, “The novelty of the “informal summit” that dazzled everyone when Modi traveled to Wuhan to spend two days in a relaxed setting with Xi last year has worn off. Like so many other mechanisms before it, the informal summit, too, is proving to be inadequate to cope with the range of structural tensions that have enveloped the bilateral relationship — from Kashmir to trade and multilateral challenges” ( C Raja Mohan, “With China India Must Recognise Power Balance, Liberate Itself from Prolonged Illusions, False Hopes”, The Indian Express, 18 October 2019)

It should also be kept in mind that China is much ahead of India in terms of economic capacity, connectivity projects, security spending and most importantly China has clearly established a grand vision to conduct its foreign policy. Therefore, it is important to understand global realities and pursue a more expedient foreign policy with enhanced cooperation with China. However, while China has a distinct advantage on most issues it is also true that on certain issues India has taken a stern and tactically positive stand against China, like its firm advocacy for an open and free Indo Pacific.

Informal summits have now become the preferred modus operandi when it comes to meetings between India and China. From Sabarmati to Wuhan and Mamallapuram it provided both leaders an opportunity to shun formality and traditional norms of diplomacy. Informal summits accord more significance to optics and personal chemistry than actual outcomes. However, since there are no joint declarations or formal statements its tangible results remain debatable.

The Chennai summit has already paved the way for a third summit in China, scheduled next year. However, it is only a critical analysis of the level of bilateral engagement post the Summits that will substantiate the potential of these engagements.

SayantanHaldar

Intern

AGA