Blog: India-China Ties Through The Eyes Of A Student

At the G20 Summit this weekend, India showcased its leadership as an effective facilitator between the world's wealthiest economies and emerging nations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi affirmed his country's place as a champion of the Global South in the historically Western-dominated club, and bolstered India's status as a rising power capable of countering China's global influence.

India's presidency was deemed a resounding success - under which the 'New Delhi Declaration' was adopted after G20 leaders overcame concerns over reaching a consensus on language regarding Ukraine. The inclusion of the African Union was also a huge step forward for global representation.

What was notable, though, was the absence of Chinese President Xi Jinping. Some experts say that President Xi did not want to attend a conference dominated by a US-allied bloc - particularly after recent border tensions over Arunachal Pradesh and the disputed Aksai Chin plateau.

With a shared desire to contain an expansionist China, India, and the US have kindled strong ties in the past decade, particularly with the formation of the Quad. As the US seeks to move away from economic dependence on China, there is bipartisan support for boosting ties with India.

PM Modi should be concerned about the souring of ties with China, with whom India shares a 2,000-mile border and 3,000 years of cultural and trade ties.

However, a looming shadow of the Sino-Indian War of 1962 lives on. In 2014, PM Modi's vigorous outreach to China provided some hope for restoration of historical ties with a budding bonhomie. President Xi became the first Chinese leader in six decades to be feted at a public reception in Gujarat, and PM Modi became the first world leader warmly hosted by the Chinese President in his hometown of Xian. Those were optimistic days-a far cry from the glaring absence of President Xi at the G20.

In a recent poll of Indians, 43% of respondents believed that China is India's biggest enemy, while only 19% voted for Pakistan. A Pew Research poll found that two-thirds of Indian respondents had a negative view of China. Similarly, a Tsinghua University poll found that only 8% of Chinese respondents had a favorable opinion of India.

As an Indian-American fluent in Mandarin and Hindi who grew up in the Chinese-majority cities of Singapore and Hong Kong, I have a personal stake in the India-China relationship- as do the third of the world's population that lives in these two countries.

I am worried about this moment and what it bodes for my generation. Those mutual exchanges between the leaders of India and China are disappearing when they should be increasing. More worryingly, people-to-people exchanges are almost nonexistent. In April 2022, in response to the unprovoked Chinese aggression on the border, India suspended tourist visas for Chinese citizens and is currently not issuing any more until further notice. Indians can still travel as tourists to China, though they do so in tiny numbers.

Further, there are no longer any journalists from India in China, and vice versa, due to tit-for-tat visa denials following the "standardizing" of the names of 11 locations in Arunachal Pradesh, which China refers to as "Southern Tibet." As a result, media portrayals in both countries are entirely divorced from realities on the ground-no perspectives are coming from interpersonal interactions.

I made a trip to Shanghai this summer, where I met Prof. Tansen Sen, director of the Center for Global Asia at NYU-Shanghai, who told me this is a significant departure from the past."Historically, the circulation of knowledge [between India and China] was vital, and took place through mutual visits, whether it be of monks, scholars, explorers or soldiers."

During my visits, I could not help but surmise that humans are often blind to our commonalities at our own peril. The similarities I encountered were surprising, even amusing. A vendor - at a fake luxury market - was so delighted with my Mandarin abilities that she decided to play a guessing game. She guessed Spain, Mexico, and Iran, to which I kept shaking my head. Finally, I told her I was from India, to which she responded: "You don't look Indian! You're so fair!" I smiled, knowing she meant well, but felt a confusing mix of indignation and understanding. On the one hand, I immediately recognized the obsession with fairness-a trait shared with my country of origin. But on the other hand, I saw a strain of prejudice against India, which stemmed from ignorance rather than malice.

An American Ivy League professor with extensive teaching experience in India and China (who chose not to be named) told me, "China is a lot more like India and the US than it seems from the outside. It is greatly diverse, and people have divergent opinions and think for themselves, whether or not they choose to voice them publicly."

India and China have a profoundly similar cultural ethos as two of the oldest continuous civilizations. Both societies emphasize family and collectivism, excellence in education, pride in their cultural and intellectual traditions and history, and share the enduring ties of Buddhism. Yet today, there are perhaps no neighbours in the modern world with as little understanding of each other. I am convinced that present-day geopolitics can be overcome with insistent and persistent people-to-people diplomacy.

The combined future of close to three billion people who share almost a third of the world's wealth in purchasing power rests on rekindling historical, cultural, and political ties. The world is heading towards an Asian century. The re-emergence of India and China is inevitable. The question is, will they emerge together or apart?

If India's G20 motto "One Earth, One Family, One Future" is to live up to its promise, my generation has to strive to overcome yet another difficult passage of history between India and China. The destinies of these two great civilizations are inextricably interlinked. We must act with speed, resolve, and boldness to restore ties. Throughout history, where governments have faltered, people have triumphed with their empathy, curiosity, and intelligence. Our time is now.

Maya Prakash is a student at Williams College, Massachusetts, in the United States. She is a New York Times award-winning writer and is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Chinese, Political Science, and English.

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author.