Cue Music for a Himalayan Pas de Deux

India and China have signaled that their strained relationship is on the mend. If the neighbors work together, they can write a new chapter in global diplomacy

- K M Chandrasekhar

India-China relations started with hope in the 1950s with the Panchsheel Agreement, stuttered later in that decade and deteriorated sharply in the wake of the 1962 war. Since then, it has fluctuated, with a sharp downturn over the last decade. Of late, it is again showing signs of revival.

The early 1950s are often referred to as the age of Nehru, during which he, along with a few other leaders, helped unite the Global South into a bloc of non-aligned nations as a counterbalance to the US and the USSR. While Nehru emerged as a prominent figure, his Chinese counterpart Zhou Enlai was less visible internationally. Nevertheless, the two leaders forged a strong relationship. Zhou's visit to India in 1954 generated considerable excitement, and later that year, Nehru visited China.

The New York Times described the atmosphere during Nehru's visit, saying people crowded the six-mile route from the Beijing airport to the city, joyfully chanting the Chinese slogan that translates as "Long live peace" and the Hindi phrase "Hindi-Chini bhai-bhai". Nehru and Mao Zedong's meeting lasted four-and-a-half hours, during which Mao candidly acknowledged that China was less developed than India, a fact only revealed in the minutes of the meeting released in 2015.

The relationship began showing signs of strain after the 1955 Bandung Conference of Afro-Asian nations, co-hosted by Nehru and Indonesia's Sukarno. Zhou played a significant role at the conference, garnering support from many leaders. It was during this period that Pakistan and China began strengthening their ties.