NEW DELHI : Prime Minster Modi will be undertaking his first visit to China after assuming office in the second week of this month during which his focus would be on attracting Chinese investment to boost his Make in Indiaâ initiative and expand and upgrade infrastructure.
There was little possibility of any major announcement regarding the boundary issue but the two countries might announce more border CBMs and possibly some initiatives for cooperation in the Indian Ocean, though only of symbolic nature, despite their obvious competition in the region, says Srikanth Kondapalli, professor in Chinese studies at JNU.
This is the Prime Ministerâ’s return visit to Chinese President Xi Jin Pingâ’s visit to India of last year. Besides capital Beijing and commercial hub Shanghai, the Prime Minister will also viisit Xian in Shaanxi province in north-western China which is the hometown of the Mr Xi, who wants to host Mr Modi reciprocating the hospitality Mr Modi showed to him in Amedabad.
Prime Minister will also be visiting South Korea and Mongolia in this visit. Mr Xiâ’s September ,2014 visit to India had happened under the shadow of standoff between Chinese and Indian troops in the Chumar sector. According to Sources, the two sides were working to ensure that nothing of the sort happens during the time Mr Modi was in China.
The Prime Minister, during Mr Xiâ’s visit to India had stressed the need of early clarification of the Line of Actual Control, but there was little chances Of any progress happening and being announced during his upcoming visit.
According to Prof Kondapalli, clarification of the LAC would mean something very close to accepting the status quo on Arunachal which was under the sovereignty of India, but which China refuses to concede taking the north-eastern state of India as part of South Tibet.
He said even if clarification of LAC happens sometime in the near future, the final identification, delineation and demarcation of boundary would take another 10 to 15 years.
So at best, the most the two countries could do for a take away of Mr Modiâ’s visit would be to announce some more CBMS for peace on the border. (AGENCIES)
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