NEW DELHI – India’s envoy to China Gautam Bambawale has urged both sides tostep up engagement at all levels as they navigate ties in the post-Doklamperiod, and stressed the need to respect the “status quo” along thedisputed border.
The 72-day Doklam stand-off was triggered by what India saw as a Chineseattempt to unilaterally alter the status quo in the India-China-Bhutantrijunction by extending a road towards the Siliguri Corridor. Since then,China has stopped road construction in the specific area, but has beefed upits troop presence elsewhere on the contested plateau.
Ambassador to China Gautam Bambawale in an interview with the Global Times,a Communist Party-run paper known for its hawkish views, was cautiouslyoptimistic in his appraisal of post-Doklam ties, but reiterated this wascontingent on the status quo not being violated.
“We must be sensitive to the other side’s concerns. Our interaction must bebased on equality and mutual benefit. Also, in the India-China borderareas, especially at some sensitive points, it is important not to changethe status quo. We need to be clear about this,” said Bambawale.
Putting the Doklam stand-off in perspective, he said that India and China”have had exchanges and interactions over several centuries”. “For the bulkof this period, India and China have interacted peacefully with each other.We have not merely exchanged goods but also ideas. I look at the Doklamstandoff from such a long-term perspective. When you do so, the Doklamstandoff is just one event in a much longer term history. I believe thatyou are blowing it out of proportion,” he added.
He said both sides had shown wisdom in overcoming “such momentary hurdles”.”I believe that in the post-Doklam period, India and China need to betalking to each other and conversing with each other much more than in thepast. This should be done at many different levels, including at theleadership level, the official level and the people-to-people level. Weneed to be talking and communicating with each other much more than we aredoing. Such communication should be frank, candid and open. If we are ableto do so successfully, we will understand each other much better and wewill build trust and confidence in each other. With enhanced trust andunderstanding will come a stronger partnership between India and China. Iwould like to say that India and China are partners in development andprogress. We are not rivals,” he said.
Among India’s concerns, he flagged the trade deficit and the China-PakistanEconomic Corridor. “The foremost is the large and growing trade deficit weface with China. In 2017, the deficit for India is likely to be US$ 55billion. India sells pharmaceuticals and IT products all over the world butnot in China. Why? For 20 years, we have been asking for the Chinese marketto be opened for our pharmaceutical and IT products and services. To noavail. What do we make of this? What conclusions should we draw? We shoulddiscuss such issues frankly but also take steps to resolve them,” he said.
“Secondly,” he added, “the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor passes throughIndian-claimed territory and hence violates our territorial integrity. Thisis a major problem for us. We need to talk about it, not push it under thecarpet. I believe, the more we talk to each other, the easier it willbecome to resolve problems.”