VOLUME 219 VOLUME SYNERGIA FOUNDATION MAY 2020 IN IDE... WORLD BLUEPRINT FOR A DECADE OF CHALLENGES PAGE 24 WORLD THE CASE FOR INFORMATION SHARING PAGE 25 INDIA & CHINA A TEXT IN THE TIME OF COVID-19 WORLD BY SUN YUXI INDIA–CHINA FORMERBY NIRUPAMA FOREIGN SECRETARY OF INDIARAO FORMER CHINESE AMBASSADOR TO INDIA BORDER DISPUTE FULL REPORT | PAGES 2-3 PAGE 26 PRIVATE SECTOR RESPONSIBILITIES IN A PANDEMIC | PAGE 8 p2 MAY, 2020 SYNERGIA FOUNDATION FACTS BILATERAL TRADE BETWEEN CHINA AND INDIA ARE THE CHINA AND INDIA TOUCHED TWO MOST POPULOUS & COUNTRIES AND FASTEST GROWING MAJOR US$89.6 ECONOMIES IN THE WORLD FIGURES BILLION IN 2017–18 INDIA AND CHINA: ANCIENT BONDS NEED FRESH STIMULUS The India-China relationship, despite differences, is too important to squander. The future should be built on a balanced partnership that works for a world order that is inclusive, open, compassionate, development-oriented, and respects diversity Chinese as brothers, anticipating decades must serve the cause of The Synergia the slogan of the fifties, but with the peoples, not just mercantilist Foundation in much more intellectual depth and interests. The aspirational youths of partnership with feeling. In Liang’s words, “We are both countries must not be denied Centre for China brothers, India is our elder brother livelihoods, skill enhancement, and Globalization, Beijing and we are the younger. This is not access to the fruits of technological organised a joint webinar to only an expression of courtesy. We advancement and progress. Public have got ample proof of that state- health and education must become initiate a dialogue to build ment in history… Indians did not the new frontiers of cooperation. an understanding across covet anything from China. They Cooperation in scientific research, the border, on both sides. gave us the sadhana (contempla- new technologies that have mass Excerpts from keynote tion, meditation, and focus) of application and benefits includ- speeches by Former Indian freedom, and maitri (friendship). ing in urban development and Foreign Secretary, Nirupama .... Rabindranath has come to mass transportation, environment Rao and Former Chinese am- us from the country of our elder protection and pollution control, bassador to India Sun Yuxi.... brother.” Tagore responded saying climate change and renewable re- that India felt a “very great kinship sources, bio-tech, pharmaceuticals, with China”, sraddha as he called it, compounds the tragedy because peaceful commerce, and rich cul- electronics and communications which translates to mutual respect, “grown-up nations are supposed tural traditions. But looking back on should form part of our bilateral awareness, and kinship. to behave like grown-ups”. Where the last 70 years, both are seemingly relationship. Tagore’s ideal was the universal there should be convergence, there intent on charting a course more in Hundreds of global leaders and BY NIRUPAMA RAO human spirit linked by reason and is divergence and dissatisfaction. line with habits and practices im- opinion makers have advocated the rationality and rising above the Populism, protectionism and the ported from the Western playbook, absolute need for a COVID-19 vac- Former Foreign Secretary of India, narrow confines of nationalism. retreat to isolationism is the natural the precepts of Westphalia seems to cine, which when developed, would and retired Ambassador of India Today, as every corner of the world backlash from the dislocation. Many override the principles of equality be available to all -- patent-free -- to China and the United States is ravaged by a virus, the world worlds are colliding. and mutual benefit, and the peace- and produced at scale, at no cost to needs to be reminded of the need What is diplomacy without a ful coexistence of all beings that the people everywhere. This ‘people’s he India-China relation- for rationality, for the respect of uni- strategy, without a vision? And a great Sakyamuni preached 2,500 vaccine’ should be a common goal ship, despite differ- versality that rises above the narrow vision must be defined by the goals years ago. towards which both countries must ences, is too important confines of cartographic borders. we plan for the future. We have to Will the pandemic teach us les- pool scientific talents, resources to squander. The future think about a future when we chart sons? The India-China relationship, both human and material. There is should be built on a bal- CHALLENGES OF a vision and plan a strategy. What is despite their differences, is too also a need to institute an impartial Tanced partnership that works for a the future we want? It is not about important to squander. The issues inquiry into the origins of the pan- world order that is inclusive, open, THE PANDEMIC kicking the can down the road. Two that should determine our future demic so that its cause and spread compassionate, development- to three years from now, what is the are questions of peace, not conflict. can be unravelled and fool-proof oriented, and respects diversity The world is on edge. It is on the world we want to see? Both have to avoid ‘the Thucydides protocols can be developed. brink of what could be a cataclysm Trap’, although in the present As the Canadian historian Mar- that is both societal and economic context it has not been applied garet MacMillan said recently, the OLD BONDS which tests human resilience. And THE COMPLEX precisely; the war between Athens river of history is changing direction BETWEEN CHINA yet, nations act as if it is business EQUATION and Sparta cannot be a paradigm and the need of the hour is moral as usual, continuing to pursue for a 21st century Asia. leadership. Multilateralism that es- AND INDIA outstanding differences, unresolved India and China have a complex The May Fourth Movement was chews hegemony, needs strength- problems, old grievances, and relationship. Both are Asian giants, an anti-imperialist, cultural, and po- ening and preservation. While there would be ups and rivalries, in the race towards global but with an irksome frequency, their litical movement which grew out of Organisations such as the WHO downs in geopolitics, with regional leadership or regional supremacy. interaction is fraught with tugs and student protests in Beijing on that cannot be dismissed just because and global competition between Insularity, the chase of narrow ambi- pulls, with repetitive suspicion, and day in 1919. The spirit of the young its work during the pandemic could nations, there are certain threads tion, jockeying for spheres of influ- issues that have defied resolution men and women of China, who led have been better. WHO is relevant that bind them together. India and ence, instead of interdependence despite all the positive outcomes that movement, is remembered to to come up with sensible strategies China, two of the world’s ancient -- seem to be the preferred route. that capture media headlines when this day --- their quest for scientific to combat the pandemic, and to civilisations, have always shared a The speed with which the our leaders meet, informally or enquiry, modernisation, develop- develop global protocols for mitiga- cultural bond. This two-nation con- disaster, the anthropological threat formally. This year commemorates ment, freedom from bondage and tion, treatment and prevention of nect was never more highlighted (a definition coined by French 70 years of diplomatic relations equality for all. The present genera- the disease as also against future than in the reverence of Rabindra- President Emmanuel Macron between the two countries. While a tion too must be guided by that biological threats. nath Tagore. The joint celebration recently) that is COVID-19, has pandemic rages, there is news that spirit, of constructive cooperation The future should be built on of the birthday of this great poet, overwhelmed all nations and we are engaging in confrontations rather than mutually wasting and a balanced partnership between artist, novelist and musician -– a it should induce much greater along our shared borders. narrow definitions of interest. India and China, as mutually re- true Renaissance man – both in sobriety in the way nations think. New generations of young Indi- sponsible countries, that work for a India and China with equal fanfare, Sadly, there is a game of global ans and Chinese have grown up on world order that is inclusive, open, is a manifestation of such bonds. finger-pointing, and countries such a diet of strong nationalism, quite THE FUTURE PATH compassionate, development- When Tagore visited China in as the United States and China, the different from the vision of Tagore, First and foremost, both nations oriented and respects diversity 1924, he said: “Where is the differ- leading powers, have also suc- and despite the processes of global- have to ensure that there are and the rule of international law. ence between China and India?” In cumbed to this exercise, infusing isation that like a tide, have lifted up self-correcting mechanisms that Both must build middle ground in Beijing, where “an almost inconceiv- the current situation with even boats in both nations. Historically, are built into our relationship that a polarised world and stress on the able crowd” turned up to greet him greater complexity. The grammar both nations are not known to have will prevent it from becoming core values as a humanity. It could at the station, he was felicitated by of so-called diplomatic language practised hegemony, or indulged prey to self-destructive threats of perhaps be the start of a ‘Himala- a gathering of scholars led by Liang has descended into depths that in armed conquest, rather we are conflict. The trade and investment yan Consensus’ between India and Qichao, who spoke of Indians and reduce it to street insults. This only purveyors of civilisational values, or relationship built over the last two China that can apply to the world.