These are conducive times for India and China to forget the past regrets and move towards a new relationship based on sincere friendship and peace. It is possible that India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and China’s President Xi Jinping may soon (October 22-24) meet bilaterally on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia. However regardless of whether they meet or not, it is a conducive time to strive for a relationship of sincere and sustained friendship which will be beneficial for both countries and will also strengthen BRICS.
Here is a plan that can provide the base for such a relationship of friendship.
1.The two countries express firm agreement that they should pursue a long term path of sincere and sustained friendship, within a wider perspective of creating a world and an Asia based on peace, justice, safety and environment protection and equal, non-exploitative and non-expansionist relations among all countries.
2. Both countries agree to a path of increasing trade and economic partnership while retaining the sovereign rights and freedom to protect their own essential economic interests.
3. Both countries, in recognition of their historical and civilizational relationships, agree to take significant steps to increase and improve many-sided cultural relationships and goodwill efforts among people.
4. Both countries make a commitment not to attack each other or declare war on each other.
5. Both sides agree that they will not allow their territory, ports, airspace etc. to be used for attacks or hostile activities against each other.
6. Both sides agree that they will not support any terrorist and separatist activities that are harmful for the other side.
7. Both sides agree to resolve their border disputes on the basis of the existing line of control, announcing a time-frame for this, without indulging in any violence, allowing only for a few minor adjustments here and there for practical reasons. Both sides may have some problems with this, but both sides should forget these in the larger interests of peace and give up all thoughts of any territorial gains or any violence for this. The border between China and Bhutan must also be settled at the same time on the basis of similar considerations.
8. Both sides will retain their rights to take independent stand on all other issues ( those that are not a part of this agreement) but at the same time, as a part of the wider spirit of this friendship initiative, there will be efforts to have commonality on several other issues particularly those relating to protecting the common interests of the majority world or the Global South, all the more so in matters relating to trade and investment justice, food and farming sovereignty, freedom from unjust debt, efforts for self-reliance, a justice based response to climate change, and protecting people from hazardous products and technologies promoted, sometimes imposed, by the richest countries along with their multinational companies and billionaires.
Such a plan, or something like this, can provide the base for a sustained and sincere peace-based friendship between the two countries with the largest populations, something which is very good for the peace and prosperity of the entire world. Their increasing friendship will not be against anyone, but will be good for the entire world.
Bharat Dogra is Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save the Earth Now. His recent books include Protecting Earth for Children, Planet in Peril, Man over Machine and A Day in 2071.
