China & India: “Partners with mutual benefit”

There’s a joint statement that has a lot of diplomatic blah-blah, but something had to get signed (Blair and Musharraf recently went through the routine). In the statement, there’s something about nuclear cooperation, but it looks vague enough for nobody to really follow up on it.

I’m sure the statement drafters had some translation issues when they came up with “parternship for mutual benefit.” Awkward.  

The two countries agreed to double trade. There has been inevitable commentary on the intricate calculations involving India, China, Pakistan, and United States.   

As a backdrop: The sell-outish quality to India’s softening stance on Tibet. Hu slammed the Dalai Lama for the massive protests of Tibetans in India. One Indian headline read simply: “Nobody cares for the Tibetans Anymore.”

There’s a lot of talk about how the India-China border dispute is going to be solved. The tiny province of Tawang is a key part of all the possible settlements, and the people there are hoping India won’t transfer their land to China, even though there would probably be more economic opportunities under Beijing’s reign.  

Reading reports out of New Delhi, it seems like the main message was probably to lighten the very heavy talk of rivalry and competition, especially in the wake of the U.S.-India nuclear deal:  

The “body language” so far has been of a business-like visit, lacking personal warmth, but at the same time the two leaders have unmistakably relayed a message to the world community that they are neither rivals nor competitors but intend to be partners assiduously searching for cooperation to mutual benefit.