Why China Never Saw India As A Major Threat?

It's obvious that, if our neighbour achieves success in terms of wealth and power, it appears threat to us. Whether this threat really persists or just ingrained by looking at the size and height of success, it usually unclear. But the fact that we start finding an alternative route, if unable to contain, confront or face conventionally on legitimate front.

Another route then could be to cooperate, coordinate and enhance relationship using soft power strategies like increasing bonhomie, camaraderie and engagement in a way that could help neighbours without hurting prestige, sentiment and respect of the neighbours. This is what the story of common neighbours. The same story persists between two tigers of Asia that is India and China

Historical facts revealed us a very important, sensitive and significant question that China never treated and saw India as a major power or threat at any front whether its military, economic or social advancement programmes of cultural affinities abroad.

Past taught us that India and China both started their journey becoming a major power and aspiration of leading Asia. In the case of India, under Nehru had acquired somewhat of a head start by hosting the first Asian Relations Conference, held in New Delhi in 1947, and at this time China was still involved in violent struggles within its territory. The Chinese government sent a representative to this conference, where some tensions were observed over India's desire to project its leadership in Asia.

From this moment tensions between both, the countries kept arising and reached a certain height during the First Afro- Asian Conference at Bandung, Indonesia, where India introduced China into the group. China was unhappy by seeing India is projecting herself as a leader of Asia by introducing China to the group and with its leaders.

This somewhere hurts the pride and sentiment of Chinese people who saw themselves culturally and civilizationally more superior than any other country of Asia.

Subsequently from these two events, the relationship between the two countries start deteriorating gradually. The differences of ideological leadership led to China to move closer to Pakistan and finally strategic partnership with Pakistan founded on their convergent interests vis-a-vis India. The increasing bonhomie between Pakistan and China and strained bilateral relationship with India after the Afro-Asian Conference led to the devastating Sino- India war in 1962.

The Sino-Indian war was a turning point, which decided the future of Asia as well as the fear which ingrained in the minds of Indian. The war was a drastic miscalculation of Nehru's policy of idealism. At this crossroad, India decided to lean towards the western power and understand somewhere that the non-alignment movement only upheld India's moral stature at the global level at a time when the world was bifurcating and divided between two ideologies and power that is capitalist and socialists. But not helped to achieve economic and military success at any front.

The quick response of US President John F. Kennedy at the time war, after India's appeal somewhere changed the perspective of India's looking towards the west as an exploiter and devastator to sympathiser and helper in time of need.

This war not only developed one ulcer but the contentious issue which India facing with Pakistan till today is that, Pakistan at this time ceded to China territory that India claimed in Kashmir.

Subsequently, the creeping relationship between India and China start getting rapprochement only after the Prime Minister of Rajiv Gandhi made his historic visit to China in December 1988. During his visit, he made two unprecedented concession in Indian policy towards China. First one, the border issue is not a precondition for the normalization of relations between India and China. The second one, he accepted that some member of the Tibetan community residing in India were engaged in anti-China activities on Indian soil. After this visit the high profile visits and diplomatic exchanges both sides kept increasing and relations achieved some cordial success.

As India's second nuclear tests of 1998 deteriorated relations once more but it was only for a short period. Only because, Prime Minister Atal Vihari Vajpayee's revelation of the letter written to US president Clinton of explaining the reason of nuclear test, where he mentioned the China fear and its aggression against India in1962.

Here the world witnessed two important things, first persistent fear in the mind of Indian and negligible treatment of China on India's nuclear tests. At this time China has given more preference to trade and commerce activities rather military or nuclear test. The Chinese state sees its responsibility primarily in satisfying the economic needs of its citizens rather acting against any country like the US sanctioned India.

Changes in China's new diplomacy that is less confrontational, more sophisticated, more confident approach helped in regional and international affairs.

China developed herself economically, militarily and tight political system and by alleviating poverty at large extent saw India's strength negligible and uncountable in major powers. On the Indian side analysts, author and strategists always debate about China's growing hands would harmful for India but in China, India is not a major topic of discussion and debate.

Meanwhile, each has done a creditable job of avoiding unwarranted antagonism and adventurism in engaging others.

 I Conclude that the situations change more than we expect now both countries have cooperated and worked collaboratively on various global issues like climate change, terrorism and energy security to maintain peace and tranquillity on this planet.