China increases engagement with India ahead of Lok Sabha elections

NEW DELHI: China has lined up a flurry of events to increase engagement with India ahead of next year’s Lok Sabha elections as part of a strategy to keep the recent strain in bilateral ties from turning into a poll issue.

The measures are aimed at keeping India engaged until the new government is elected in New Delhi, officials in Chinese government told ET. Efforts to smoothen bilateral ties have not achieved much success since there is no sign of an early resolution of the boundary dispute.

Besides, China continues to nurture Pakistan and maintain an aggressive stance in East Asia and Southeast Asia, including by establishing a controversial Air Defence Identification Zone. Although foreign policy seldom becomes an issue in Indian elections, China is taking no chances, its officials said on the condition of anonymity. Chinese government believes in maintaining status quo on contentious issues, including longstanding territorial disputes, and at the same time expanding engagement with the neighbours, officials said.

As part of this strategy, China plans to host cultural troupes from India and possibly Vice-President Hamid Ansari before the Lok Sabha elections. With 2014 declared as the year of friendship by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, the country is looking to promote people-to-people contact between the two nations, officials said.

The series of events begin with the Joint Study Group meeting of Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) forum on December 18 in Kunming. Former Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Rajit Mitter will lead the Indian delegation at the meet that will also be attended by senior officials of the external affairs ministry.

BCIM is an emerging regional initiative to develop India’s Northeast and parts of China’s southeast that are less developed. It can play a key role in India’s Look East Policy. Close on the heels of the BCIM meet, the next meeting of the boundary Joint Mechanism will be held either later this month or next month.