Can Modi's personal touch to diplomacy improve Sino-India ties

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's foreign policy often revolves around his warm relations with his counterparts across all major countries. Can he recreate the magic with Chinese President Xi Jinping?

PM Modi's foreign policy doctrine: The Gallup International annual survey, "Opinion of Global Leaders", which covered 50 nations, ranked Modi among the top three leaders for his par excellence diplomatic ways to connect with his counterparts. During all his foreign tours, the prime minister has not missed a single opportunity to showcase India as a potential investment destination.

President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared an unusual bond, outside of the formal, diplomatic relation. Both were interested in bilateral trade, global issues, clean power. Both were also committed to promote jobs, investment and greater opportunities for the people of both nations.

To begin with, people were sceptical about the Modi-Trump equation. However, Trump was seen to applaud Modi's efforts and has expressed his desire to discuss "important strategic issues" with him. But of late, US clampdown on tariffs and visa flipflops may hurt India's bilateral trade and diaspora in future.

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to India in mid January was momentous, given that the two countries were once ideological opponents. The last visit by any Israeli top leader was the 2003 stopover by former PM Ariel Sharon.
Things changed with Modi assuming power in 2014, successfully roping in Israel for many programmes under the Make In India initiative. Now, Israel will be collaborating with India not only in supply of sophisticated defense equipment, but also in co-designing, co-production and manufacture of many defence systems.

During his visit to India in March, French President Emmanuel Macron had termed Modi as his friend and said it was a new high for the two democracies. Modi had broken the protocol to receive Macron at the airport, exchanged bear hugs and handshakes.
This helped him getting France's support to build International Solar Alliance, which is considered as the biggest achievement of Paris Climate Change talks. Besides, India also declared France as its strategic partner and started a strategic dialogue.

India saw more collaboration with Russia under President Vladmir Putin. Growing trade and new defence contracts combined with the personal friendship between Putin and Modi has further strengthened strategic relations and is expected to drive up bilateral investments to $30 billion by 2025.

The Japan-India partnership has witnessed a sharp upward swing since Shinzo Abe resumed power. Modi's personal equation with Abe, which dated back to the Gujarat days, paid rich dividends when Japan agreed to provide concessional financing for the ambitious bullet train and for the civil nuclear deal.

The India of 2018 may not be a pushover, but with a hostile neighbour like Pakistan on the western borders, and the mighty Dragon breathing fire in the north-eastern front, a conflicting path that may lead to military scuffles is never the best of solutions. Diplomacy remains the key.
Modi has always stressed that China is a strategic partner, and after two years of friction over a host of issues - the Doklam standoff, India's Nuclear Suppliers Group bid, and China's Belt and Road Initiative - this informal meet could be a master stroke to unarm the Dragon, and build on trade and other strategic relations.
The visit by Modi to mend the strained relationships between India and China is a step towards that, and a warm relation between the two strong-minded individuals in Modi and Xi may help improve the situation.