_It is now happening repeatedly, rather sequentially in the recent past. China has been showing signs of what the now extinct Russian Communists termed ‘hegemonic designs’ by trying to arm-twist India on the economic, political and military fronts.  The recent case is the Buddhist Conclave which was to be addressed by the Tibetan religious head, the Dalai Lama. The Chinese applied all their political might pressurizing India by putting of the 15^th round of border talks slated for end November dates.  To placate the Chinese leaders the Indian Prime Minister and President decided not to attend the meet. China had even asked India to stop Dalai Lama from addressing the international Buddhist gathering, which India did not agree to.  Indian leaders have been trying to woe Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinping to visit India keeping in mind that he will be the successor to President Hu Jintao. However, Xi seems to be elusive.

Of late Chinese arrogance has been growing.  The dragon has started behaving like a bully in the region. There is no denying the fact that Chinese products have flooded world markets for the simple reason that they are cheap, lets not talk of quality. China has entered almost all small and big economies of the world and established its supremacy. It has gone deep into the American markets, both north and south and made inroads into Europe too.  But the worst affected seems to be India. A good number of Indian manufacturers have been buying cheap Chinese products and selling them in the domestic market after re-labelling them as their own. It has been a late realization by the Indian consumers that Chinese products are cheap, but of poor quality. The word may spread to the smaller cities and towns where the goods have already permeated. The Indian industry is licking its wounds inflicted by the cheap Chinese goods flooding the markets.  

Trade with China was officially resumed in 1978 and six years later the most favoured nation (MFN) agreement was signed. Balance of trade with China has been largely in its favour; of the USD 61.7 billion ending 2010, China exported to India goods worth USD 40.8 billion. Chinese companies, many of them state-owned are in the field of infrastructure construction, power projects, supply of heavy equipments and industrial projects mainly in iron steel sectors.

Imagine the high-headed attitude of the Chinese companies which came to participate in India International Trade Fair in New Delhi, but walked out on the fifth day of the fair claiming that there was no business to finalise after the fair opened to general visitors. The 31 participating Chinese exhibitors did not even bother to inform the organizers of their sudden departure. Had an Indian exhibitor done the same in Guongzhou Fair, he would have been blacklisted for future. One fails to understand why the organizers, in this case the Indian Trade Promotion Organisation, did not take a strong action against the erring participants.

The Indian journalistic fraternity ought not forget the behaviour of the Chinese Ambassador Zhang Yan who asked a journalist to ‘shut up’ when the latter insisted on clarifications about a wrong map of India. Such an outburst is not expected from a diplomat. Perhaps he forgot that he was addressing a press conference in a democracy where people have fundamental rights.

While Chinese leaders are trying to browbeat India politically and economically, the Chinese army is flexing its muscles. The People’s Liberation Army of China has been resurrecting its bunkers and tunnels just within 100 kilometres of the line of actual control. Indian army intelligence has reported setting up of missile storage bases by the Chinese army near Ladakh. The army is also said to be strengthening infrastructure on the other side of the border creating tensions along the border. The Indian side has been watching the developments with concern, but political leaders have chosen to downplay this aspect. New observation posts are reported to have come up in Aksai Chin area on the Chinese side.  China is also reported to have increased its military personnel’s strength along the border with India.  
It was not long ago when Lt. General B S Jaswal.  General Officer Commanding –in – Chief of northern area command was refused a visa by the Chinese authorities. The Indian Army reacted sharply and decided to call off all military interaction with China.  All such acts by the Chinese negate efforts of confidence building measures between the two Asian giants.

China and India working together on the economic front can do wonders, making a formidable front for the entire Western powers, but the Chinese leadership seems to be pursuing a monopolistic policy – will they ever let go this arrogance?   

    Amit Mittal