The concern draws primarily from a joint statement issued in Beijing after a meeting between Obama and his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao. A joint US-Chinese offer to “strengthen communication, dialogue and cooperation”—between Pakistan and India—for peace and stability has caused upset.

Possible Chinese mediation in resolving any standing disputes between the two nuclear-armed neighbours is perceived as external interference in India’s bilateral relations.  It is in opposition to India’s long-standing policy dealings with Pakistan. Kashmir, being a case in point, New Delhi has ever since partition firmly rejected all external mediation attempts.

While China’s significance is obviously high on the US agenda, the recent trip has proved quite disturbing for India.  It is an unspoken acknowledgement of China’s emergence on the superpower horizon. The fact that Obama involved Beijing to smooth strained relations between India and Pakistan is doubly irksome for Delhi. An issue that is likely to dominate Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s forthcoming visit to Washington.

Indo-Sino economic ties may have seen robust growth but bilateral relations remain strained on the political front.  Preceding even the breakout of a small border war in 1962, Indian distrust stems from China’s territorial claims, its closeness to Pakistan, its role in Tibet and alleged support for Maoist rebels. A recent rise in diplomatic tensions followed India’s refusal to entertain Chinese demands to disallow the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, to visit the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh.

While Indian indignation at this development is understandable in view of its strained relations with China, it is important to assess things in context.  US attempts to bring in China may also be for influencing Pakistan for a  speedier rapprochement with India.  The resumption of the stalled composite dialogue has failed due to what New Delhi calls a failure by Islamabad to prosecute perpetrators of Mumbai attacks. The process of dialogue has thus been made conditional by India, and opposed by Pakistan. This is unfortunate since terrorists, especially those whose aim is to sabotage peace between the two states for their own vested interests, are likely to use this card.

As for a resolution on Kashmir, fresh efforts are long overdue. Given the tendency to fall into a blame game, the two neighbours would probably benefit from outside mediation—necessarily, not China—for a judicious resolution in accordance with what the people of the troubled region want. 

China and India need to move beyond past grievances and forge a stronger relationship, one that befits Asia’s economic giants.