Security Council expansion key to breakthrough in ties

If China desires to win the hearts of the Indian people during its president's visit to India, it can do so even without pumping in billions of dollars or giving Indian goods access to the Chinese market. The president Xi Jinping has to make a simple declaration that China will support permanent membership for India in the UN Security Council. China's traditional position that it is in favour of India playing a greater role in the Security Council is meaningless. The support should be specific and action oriented, so that the UN reform proposals, being considered for more than 30 years, can move forward. Such a move will be much appreciated and take India-China relations to a higher level with the least financial outlay.

In fact, China owes such a move to India for two reasons. First, India was the most active supporter of the admission of the People's Republic of China to the UN in place of the old regime, which had remained there for many years. One of the reasons for the US antagonism to India was our championship of PRC. One example of the US anger for those who supported the PRC membership was the veto it exercised over the candidature of Salim Salim, the then foreign minister of Tanzania, for the post of the UN secretary general. His "crime" was that he had danced on the aisle of the General Assembly when China was admitted. George Bush, who had seen Salim's act of jubilation as the US ambassador to the UN, as president made sure that Salim was not elected to the high post.

The second reason is that if Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had not turned down an offer made to him to take the place of China on the Security Council, China would never have entered the Security Council. Panditji insisted that China should take its own place and that India would seek its position on the Council when the time came. The time has now come and the world acknowledges that India is eminently qualified because of its size, its influence and its signal contribution to the international body. This is the time for China to reciprocate the gesture Panditji made at a critical time.

China, however, does not seem to be ready to support India's permanent membership. The main reason for this reluctance is the fear that its position in Asia will be challenged by India. Like other permanent members, China is not ready to share its privileged position with any country. Its antagonism against Japan is another factor. According to reports, China knows that if the door is opened for expansion, Japan cannot be kept out. China even made it known that if India was the only candidate for permanent membership, it would have considered the matter differently as India is a developing country. But China is unlikely to change its position on this issue unless the border issue is resolved and it feels confident that its predominant position in Asia can be maintained.

China is reportedly poised for massive investments in India and for increasing trade. But these will be seen with some suspicion because it is through trade and investment that China establishes its domination. A political move like support for India at the UN, on the other hand, will be heartily welcomed. That is the key to a major breakthrough in India-China relations.

The writer is a former ambassador and an eminent educationist