‘It is "fortuitous" that the relations between India and China are mending,’ says the former chief of the Indian Army, Gen M M Naravane (retd). Both countries have announced several initiatives at political, diplomatic, and military levels for the improvement of "our engagements and relations,” added the retired Army chief. India and China have affirmed peace along the border, reopened trade, promoted investment flows, and resumed direct flight connectivity at the earliest.
"It is fortuitous that over the last couple of weeks, our relations with China are on the mend, a number of initiatives have been announced at political, diplomatic, and military levels so that our engagements and relations improve as we go forward. We are hopeful that China too will reciprocate our goodwill as we move ahead,” Naravane stated during his address at an event.
The statement of Naravane came at a crucial time when there is a growing estrangement in ties between India and the US over President Donald Trump's policies on trade and tariffs. India and China have launched multiple projects in view of a more stable and cooperative diplomatic relationship.
"It's not that the current momentum of change and interaction that is taking place between India and China is something that has been forced upon us due to some events. We always wanted good relations with China," Gen Naravane (retd) said, adding, "It is a boundary and not a border, and like in a boundary, it is open to negotiations... a certain amount of give and take is possible.”
On Tuesday, India and China listed the measures in a joint document after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held wide-ranging talks earlier this week with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, besides meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Wang paid a two-day visit to India, and his trip has largely been seen as part of ongoing efforts by the two neighbours to rebuild their relationship after it came under severe strain following the deadly Galwan Valley clashes in 2020. Gen Naravane said post-2020, "a large amount of forces are arrayed on either side of the Line of Actual Control" and recalled that the external affairs minister had cautioned about the presence of such a large number of troops along the LAC.
"Definitely, not a situation in our common interest. We need to move forward and try to resolve it as soon as possible. I hope for the future that our relations will improve. The two most populous nations of the world, not seeing eye to eye, do not bode well," he added.
"We were cooperating together for so many centuries... Post-independence, we didn't quite see eye to eye on certain issues, leading to the 1962 war, which strained relations thereafter. If you look at the civilisational timeline, the last 60-70 years are but a very small blip on this entire timeline. These
kinds of ups and downs in the relationship between the two countries are bound to occur; nothing abnormal about it. Nevertheless, this blip in the relations cannot be just set aside or brushed under the carpet. It is an important and emotive issue between the two countries, and the sooner we settle it, the better it will be for the world at large," the former Army chief said.
On the India-China boundary question, he mentioned the Agreement on Political Parameters and Guiding Principles for Settlement of the India-China Boundary Question, signed in 2005, citing, "Not much progress has been made, but the fact that it is being talked about once again gives us hope as we move forward."
Gen Naravane was the 28th Chief of Army Staff.
Follow us
