Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit China this week for an informal meeting with President Xi Jinping. Top issues that might figure in the much-talked about meeting between the two super leaders of Asia
Modi-Xi's fourth meetPM Narendra Modi will be visiting China for the fourth time since coming to power in 2014. This will be the second bilateral visit after his maiden trip in 2015. In between, he had visited Hangzhou for the G-20 summit in 2016 and BRICS summit in Xiamen in 2017. He is expected to go to Qingdao in June for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, which will see all major global leaders in attendance.
Strategic move The informal meeting is part of the high-level interactions between the two Asian neighbours. After the Doklam standoff, Modi had expressed the urgency of opening a broader strategic dialogue with China. It started in December with the visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Subsequently, India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi met this year. Earlier this week, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was in China to take part in a meeting of foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
International border issuesNew Delhi and Beijing have sharp differences on several issues. The unresolved border dispute along Doklam remains a bone of contention. Recently, Indian Army had alleged that the Chinese troops had "transgressed" the Asaphila area along Arunachal Pradesh. The leaders are expected to address the differences, besides discussing issues related to Pakistan, Nepal and Bhutan.
Trade war and protectionismOne of the prominent global issues to be discussed at the Modi-Xi Wuhan summit, will be US protectionism, and the possibility of a trade war in the times of globalisation. The Donald Trump administration had recently threatened to impose tariffs up to $150 billion on Chinese imports. China had also retaliated against the US move.Modi is also expected to push his pet campaigns like 'Make in India' and "Vasudeva Kutumbakam" to push Indian ventures.
South China SeaThe rapid militarisation of ports controlled by China in the South China Sea and its active expansion of operations in the region has been a point of contention for many countries. Recently, India and Vietnam had highlighted the importance of freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. China on its part had objected to this, saying it opposes the bilateral ties.
Belt and Road Initiative India has reservations on Chinese President Xi Jinping's landmark scheme, the Belt and Road Initiative. The project plans to build infrastructure to connect China to the rest of Asia, and beyond, to facilitate trade. India has objected to the initiative as the $60-billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor runs through Pakistan-administered Kashmir, which is a disputed area for India and Pakistan.
Supremacy in Indian OceanChina and India have been competing to control the Indian Ocean region with both countries having military and economic presence in bordering countries. They are planning commercial projects, which may also be used for defence use. While Beijing has set up an overseas military base in Djibouti, New Delhi has sought to access facilities in the Seychelles, Oman and Singapore.
NSG membershipChina, a key member, has always obstructed India's entry into the 48-member Nuclear Suppliers Group. Beijing has argued that Delhi was not part of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The matter is high on the agenda. Barring the NSG, India has gained entry in the remaining three important export control regimes--- Missile Technology Control Regime, Wassenaar Agreement and the Australia Group.
Testing the watersBeijing has by far been the dominant country in the region, but with India's emergence as a world power, besides its proximity to the US and Japan, China has been testing the waters on how India reacts to its aggressive stand. So far, New Delhi has done well in taking the Chinese challenge head-on as Beijing continued to undermine Indian security concerns. However, Modi's visit and the reaction by the state-controlled Chinese media show that despite both countries refusing to relent on certain issues, soft diplomacy may have paid some dividend of late. However, only time will tell how this pans out over the long-term.