Collaborative effort

THOSE who base their thinking on old logic to judge China-Indian ties, and those who like to present India as a power to counter China’s geopolitical influence, will not enjoy the sight of the dragon dancing with the elephant.

For two Asian countries with a long history of exchanges, five years is a brief moment.

But even in the short period of five years, the pace of Sino-Indian co-operation has gone far beyond the understanding of Western media still stuck in the “confrontation era”.

From an historical view, both China and India have opportunities to realise national rejuvenation, and there exists both huge potential and the conditions for a leap forward in bilateral relations.

Luckily, the two sides have reached a consensus to advance the strategic partnership and build closer relationships.

Both leaders envisage China and India will integrate their future development strategies and achieve complementarity and mutual assistance at a higher level between the two economies, which will also enable China and India to continue to be important engines behind regional and global economic growth.

The combined economy of China and India has surpassed $12 trillion (R141.6 trillion). It is predicted the growth of both in the future will reach or exceed 7 percent. The population of the two countries accounts for 40 percent of the world total.

Whenever the two neighbours achieve integration in any economic sphere or in any industry, it creates an unprecedented market and a value chain beneficial to both.

There is competition and there are differences between China and India, but there is more co-operation.