India-China border deal marks a new beginning

On Oct 21, China and India reached a border agreement with regard to the Ladakh region, marking a departure from 2020, when there was a nasty fight between the two in which many soldiers lost their lives and several others suffered injuries. After that incident, a tense situation persisted between the two countries for about four years. The 2024 deal materialized after four years of military and diplomatic efforts.

After the agreement, India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the agreement on army patrolling in certain areas had brought the situation back to where it was in 2020, before a deadly border clash. The very next day, Beijing confirmed that the two sides had “reached a solution” following “close communication” on relevant issues of the China-India border through diplomatic and military channels.

A new world order

On the meeting held between PM Modi and President Xi on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan on Oct 20-22, both sides stressed the need for a permanent resolution of border disputes for peace and tranquility for the two countries as well as for the entire region, expecting the detente to contribute to the creation of a new international order.

Per media reports, the troop withdrawal process has already begun and will complete in 10 days, making way for the implementation of other promises made in the agreement. Per the reports, both the leaders agreed, in principle, to resolve outstanding border issues through relentless efforts at diplomatic, political and military levels. The idea is to create a mutually fruitful and advantageous political, military and economic scenario in favor of peace and stability in the region, something which is expected to make way for a multi-polarized world and a new international order.

Friends in deed

India and China are our next-door neighbors, development partners, well-wishers and our friends in need and friends in deed. We are maintaining a very balanced and pragmatic relation with both the neighbors that are militarily strong, economically developed and prosperous, with formidable diplomatic clout. They are supportive of our socioeconomic development and stand for stability in Nepal. If they are in a good tune and in a good understanding it will give a direct and proportional positive impact in our political stability and economic development. We can and should cash and utilize the peace and prosperity dividend from both the countries. We should always stand as a true and trusted friend of both. We should not become unreliable political gamblers and must not play a trump card against each other. If we remain true friends and always care about our national interest, I am sure that the dynamics and dimension of economic support and investment from both the countries will continue to increase. If there will be deep rivalry or enmity or unhealthy competition or a war-like tense situation between India and China, Nepal will definitely suffer from all sides. Thereby this border agreement between two countries is not only good for them but also very good for Nepal too.

A constructive role 

Nepal should always play a very constructive role between the two neighbors and always remain as a link between the two. We should earn political trust and credibility while handling our foreign policy keeping in mind that consistency, clarity and continuity are good qualities of foreign policy. We should be good and dependable friends.

National interest in focus

Our two neighbors have two different ideologies and political systems, so we should maintain a very high degree of political and diplomatic equilibrium while steering our foreign policy. If we accord ideology the topmost priority in our foreign policy, we cannot maintain a good and balanced relationship with our neighbors. This is one of the important issues facing us in our neighborhood policy. The basic elements of our foreign policy should be the protection of national interest, sovereignty and territorial integrity, development and prosperity of the country and multi-engagement policy in the international arena through inclusive democracy. This may be the panacea for protection of the country and for national prosperity and happiness.

Opportunities and blessings

We need capital, technology, an innovative brain and unwavering honesty as well as determination at the political level to make our country happy and prosperous. When Latin Americans or Canadians can profit from the US’ development and prosperity, when Africans and Muslims can benefit from the prosperity of Europe, why can’t we benefit from the development and prosperity of our two neighbors? We should be politically smart and honest, visionary and diplomatically skillful and pragmatic and free from biases against our next-door neighbors to benefit from them.

Views are personal