As reported in this newspaper on Thursday, China’s foreign minister, Yang Jiechi, has objected to India’s participation in the ‘quadrilateral initiative’ — along with the US, Japan, and Australia. His Indian counterpart, Pranab Mukherjee, replied that the exercise was not directed at Beijing. The diplomatic exchange underlines the enduring inequality in Sino-Indian relations. If Beijing has always had the political temerity to dictate diplomatic terms to New Delhi, India is too weighed down by strategic timidity to tell China to mind its own business. While New Delhi tends to be too unctuous in trying to prove its “friendly credentials” in Beijing, China never thinks twice about pursuing its foreign policy goals at India’s expense.

Could anyone imagine an explanation from Beijing on why it had aligned with the ‘imperialist’ US during the 1970s and 1980s? Did India’s muted protests in the 1980s and 1990s stop China from supplying nuclear and missile technology to Pakistan? Improved relations between New Delhi and Beijing haven’t affected China’s condescension towards India. After assurances at the highest level that it would support New Delhi’s candidature for the permanent membership of the UN Security Council, Beijing sabotaged India’s campaign. After failing to prevent India’s membership of the East Asia Summit, China made sure all real decisions are taken in the ASEAN Plus Three, which excludes India. Nor does China seek India’s permission in exporting arms to our smaller neighbours or building strategic port facilities in Gwadar (Pakistan), Chittagong (Bangladesh), Sittwe (Myanmar) and Hambantota (Sri Lanka).

... contd.