All entries for Monday 11 April 2005

Inside the Velvet Glove

The Telegraph, 11.04.2005

Swapan Dasgupta provides the reality check so needed in the midst of all the optimism preceding the visit of the Chinese premier, Wen Jiabao (“Of Actual Control”, April 8). As Dasgupta points out, bilateral relations may be at an all-time high, but it is the cadre in Beijing and not in New Delhi who set the pace. Even as we rush to sign a free-trade agreement with China, we need to consider the effect of Chinese dumping on Indian industry. China’s recent engagement of India should be seen in the context of its strengthening of ties with Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh. There is a real possibility that China wants to tie down India between a range of banana republics and rogue states, while it reaches for global glory. Panchsheel gave us 1962, Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s 2003 China visit cost us Tibet. Will Jiabao lose us our economic sovereignty, Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh in 2005?

: 11 Apr 2005 09:41 |  Comments (2) |  Close comments |  Report a problem