During a recent visit to Nathu La pass recently, my students and I learnt some important lessons in diplomacy and strategy. The Indian soldiers at the border were alert and silent, and cautiously watched every single individual. They sternly dissuaded those who ventured to the fence — possibly for a photo-op — from doing so. The Chinese soldiers, with no tourists on their side, were relaxed, jovial; they came up to the fence, and appeared almost too willing to have their photographs taken with our students.

The contrast is deeply symbolic of how the two nations perceive the recent re-opening of the Nathu La pass — one of the confidence building measures entered into between the two countries. While India reacts to it cautiously, given the experiences of past, China appears to be one step ahead by trying to make up for lost time.

Such contrasting images notwithstanding, the historic opening of the Nathu La pass between Sikkim and Tibet, after more than 40 years, has very significant messages for South Asia. This event heralds the opening up of mindsets in India and China, two giants perceived as the twin engines of a foreseeable Asian resurgence. In a more literal sense, the opening up of border trade marks the beginning of a process in which economics overtakes politics as the two nations try to overcome decades of mistrust.

Given the history and trajectory of Sino-Indian relations, this change in the mindsets has been nothing short of extraordinary. During the famous ‘handshake’ episode in 1988, when the Chinese patriarch Deng Xiao Ping wouldn’t let go of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s hand, China conveyed a very important message: its willingness to take the lead in transforming the relationship. Some 18 years and scores of multi-level interactions later, Sino-Indian relations are ready to make the big leap, provided leaders in the two countries display maturity of the kind that was shown in tackling the Sikkim-Tibet question.

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