The Summit Of Spin

Why progress in Indo-China relations under Modi is an illusion

- Raviprasad Narayanan

On 27 and 28 April last year, a rare “informal summit” took place between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and China’s president, Xi Jinping, at Wuhan in China. The meeting was described by the Indian and foreign media as a chance for the two countries to “reset” their fraught relationship. According to the Indian government, several outstanding issues were discussed—the dispute over the 4,056-kilometre Line of Actual Control; the trade deficit India has with China, a statistical figure going up every year; and ways to develop cultural exchange. Whether China’s occupation of Tibet—a longstanding bone of contention between the two nations— figured in their discussions is not known.

Both countries’ governments and sections of the mainstream media hailed the visit as a milestone in bilateral relations. India’s ministry of external affairs released a press statement on 28 April, stating that Xi and Modi had “agreed that proper management of the bilateral relationship will be conducive for the development and prosperity of the region, and will create the conditions for the Asian Century.” Since then, several members of the Modi government, including the minister of external affairs Sushma Swaraj, have referred to the “Wuhan consensus” or the “Wuhan spirit” to claim an improvement in Indo-China relations.