Page 34 - EW September 2024

Expert Comment

Time for re-set of Sino-

India relationship

SUDHEENDRA KULKARNI

HE ECONOMIST, THE WORLD’S LEADING Prime minister Modi is likely to meet
weekly magazine, cannot be accused of a pro-China China’s President Xi Jingping at the
bias. The opposite is true. It regularly features news
Tand commentary critical of the country. Therefore, BRICS Summit in Russia on October
its readers were taken aback by a cover feature recently 22-24. They should sieze the moment to
titled ‘China has become a Scientific Superpower’ (June
12). It reports that from plant biology to superconductor restore ancient harmonious relations
physics, from renewable energy to digital technologies,
latter day China is at the cutting edge. research and technological innovation in strategic areas,
In 2003, America produced 20 multiples of high-impact it could not have withstood the technology and economic
scientific papers than China. Now China has surpassed sanctions imposed by the West. CPC has now resolved
America and the entire European Union on this metric. to further accelerate major reforms in education and
Establishing world-class universities and government development of high calibre human resources; permit
institutions, and encouraging best Chinese brains abroad autonomous management of universities and research
to return to China, has been a part of Beijing’s scientific institutions; and provide greater boost to high-tech
development plan. enterprises.
Between 2000-2019, more than six million Chinese here is much India can learn from our northern
students left the country to study abroad. Now, more Tneighbour. Nobody is more aware of this than India’s
scientists have been returning to the country than leaving. big business and industry. India Inc knows it can benefit
China now hosts more research scholars than America hugely from China’s spectacular advances, especially in
and the European Union combined. “Tsinghua is now renewable energy, electronics, digital technologies and
the #1 science and technology university of the world,” infrastructure modernisation. In recent months, industry
says Simon Marginson, a professor of higher education at and business leaders have been pressing government
Oxford University. “That’s amazing. They’ve done that in to ease growth-hindering visa restrictions for Chinese
a generation.” business partners, engineers and technicians which were
How is all this transforming China’s economy and, more imposed after the Galwan Valley military clash of 2020.
important, how could it impact India? To examine the first They have also sought relaxation in rules for joint ventures
question, it is useful to understand what the Communist with Chinese companies.
Party of China (CPC) is doing to overcome the current In a major setback for Indian hawks demanding boycott
slowdown in the economy and also to achieve “common of Chinese goods and services, in the Economic Survey 2024,
prosperity” in society by significantly reducing social and India’s chief economic adviser V. Anantha Nageswaran has
regional disparities. At its landmark ‘third plenum’ held in proposed India Inc integrating with China’s supply chain
July, CPC stressed that its goal is ‘high quality development’ to strengthen our manufacturing sector, and has also
(and not mere quantitative GDP growth). advocated Chinese FDI (foreign direct investment) to boost
To achieve this goal, China is relying on the rise of “new our exports to the US and Europe.
quality productive forces” driven by latest advances in Prime minister Modi is likely to meet Chinese President
science and technology. Under this objective, it intends Xi Jinping at the next BRICS Summit in Russia on October
to modernise every sector of the Chinese economy — 22-24. The two leaders should seize the moment to fully
agriculture, industry, financial system, infrastructure, normalise our bilateral relations, so the Elephant and the
logistics, services, healthcare and the rest — with the use Dragon can begin a new tango of economic and technology
of AI, robotics, blockchain, life sciences and other science cooperation.
and technology breakthroughs to usher in an era of The hurdle they have to overcome is the lingering Sino-
unprecedented gains in productivity and efficiency. India border dispute which is a legacy of the British Raj
China now ranks #1 worldwide in the number of science and has ruined centuries of peace, harmony and cultural
and technology innovation clusters. Moreover, in terms of exchanges between our two giant Asian nations. India
production and use of solar photovoltaic panels and other needs to climb down from its ‘talks-but-no negotiations’
clean and green energy products, China is far ahead of the policy on borders demarcation and settlement with China.
rest of the world. In fact, China installed more solar panels Bona fide negotiations involving give and take on both sides
in 2023 than the US has ever built, setting new standards can restore ancient harmonious relations, and usher in an
in low carbon footprint. era of prosperity for 2.8 billion people.
Even more creditable is that China has achieved all
this with atmanirbharata (self-reliance), in which it is far (Sudheendra Kulkarni is a former aide of prime minister Atal Bihari Va-
ahead of India. Without maximum self-reliance in scientific jpayee (1999-2004) and currently founder, Forum for South Asia)

34 EDUCATIONWORLD SEPTEMBER 2024