A Patch-Up with Beijing Would Suit Our Interests

As world trade wobbles, India and China could gain from mending commercial ties. It's the geo-strategic aspect that demands deft handling in the context of our security challenges

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India seems ready to improve business relations with China. Though hints of it have been emerging since Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping last year at the Brics summit, signs of rapprochement have grown. New Delhi is contemplating easing its restrictions on direct investment from China, for example. Non-sensitive sectors could see barriers being lowered, according to a Mint report. To be sure, India's Press Note 3, which mandates that investments from countries with which India shares land borders get government approval, is not about to be withdrawn. But India could ease scrutiny under this policy. Direct flights between the two countries are set to resume, even as India slowly gets more generous with visas issued to Chinese citizens. Meanwhile, China's foreign minister Wang Yi's visit to New Delhi on Monday has set the stage for Modi to meet Xi at the forthcoming summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Beijing.