Interaction with Chinese Communist Party Delegation

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A six-member Chinese delegation from the International Department, Communist Party of China, led by Dr. Lu Jianzhang, Deputy DG of Research Office, interacted with VIF faculty on, 20th of October, 2014. With Lt Gen (Retd) Ravi Sawhney, Distinguished Fellow, VIF, moderating the session, a battery of eminent Indian strategist, including, among others, Mr. CD Sahay, former Secretary, RAW, Air Chief Marshal (Retd) SP Tyagi, former Chief of the Indian Air Force, Mr. TCA Rangachari, former Ambassador, and Lt Gen (Retd) Sanjiv Chachra, former GOC-in-C of the prestigious Northern Command of the Indian Army, engaged the foreign delegates in a lively discussion, encompassing India-China relations and regional security in South and East Asia.

In his opening remarks, Dr. Lu Jianzhang underlined the major changes which are presently taking place in Asia. From the Chinese perspective, India is a country that needs to be studied closely, especially in terms of changes taking place in Asia. To that extent, the visit of the Chinese delegation was intended towards deepening their understanding of India. Dr. Lu Jianzhang, however, said the purpose of their visit to VIF was also
to understand the impact of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent visit to India. In the light of India’s recent diplomatic initiatives, the visitors wanted to know if there was any directional shift in India’s foreign policy under the new government to which the VIF faculty clarified that India pursued an independent foreign policy and it was not directed towards anyone.

With recurring border incursions casting a pall over President Xi’s recent visit to India, the VIF faculty argued that festering border tension between China and India is detrimental to peace and security in the region. Incidents such as these also create an adverse climate for India-China relations. While admitting there are differences of perception as regards the LAC, the Chinese interlocutors said such incidents happen due to bilateral movements on the border. There is need to explore additional mechanism to reduce trust deficit emanating from the frequent border stand-offs between the two countries. The Chinese delegates however, said that it is also imperative for both the governments to guide public opinions on this sensitive issue. Both sides however agreed that China and India should approach their foreign policy with each other on the basis of equality and mutual understanding. In addition to the border problem between the two countries, the interaction also focused on a range of regional economic and security related issues, including China’s proposed maritime silk route, potential India-China cooperation in Afghanistan in the post-drawdown scenario, and anti-terrorism cooperation between China and India. China’s relationship with Pakistan in the context of anti-terrorism cooperation also figured during the talks.