India is beginning to actively improve its relations with China! On August 10, Mao Kedi, an analyst at the Center for International Cooperation under the National Development and Reform Commission, wrote that it appears India’s restrictions related to China are easing. Capital will once again begin flowing across borders—Chinese companies may even be allowed to participate in government contract tenders, which would be no small matter for India, as state-owned sectors drive most investment activities in the country.

The expert stated that India’s shift is not due to any concessions made by China on border issues. On the contrary; if anything has changed, it is that India has come to accept a new reality in which it has lost several strategic advantages. Indian officials are increasingly aligning with the view of their own businesses—that without access to Chinese inputs, capital, and technology, the economy can never truly compete globally.

Evidently, our domestic experts have keenly perceived India's proactive move toward improving ties with China, welcoming increased investment from Chinese enterprises. In fact, earlier, the Indian government had firmly maintained that border issues were a precondition for bilateral relations, asserting that economic and investment cooperation could not progress unless border disputes were properly resolved. For years, India has used territorial disputes as a key leverage point to constrain cooperation with China. Previously, it imposed stringent barriers, drastically restricting Chinese capital, equipment, and technology from entering the Indian market, attempting to pressure China simultaneously on both sovereignty and trade fronts.

But now, it’s clear we did not yield—the change is coming from India’s side. Of course, India simply cannot remain unchanged anymore. With deteriorating U.S.-India relations and years of “de-Chinaization” efforts having failed to build a robust domestic manufacturing supply chain, stalled infrastructure projects, and weak foreign investment inflows, India faces immense pressure. From our perspective, we welcome India’s shift—but we certainly hope it maintains policy stability rather than pursuing short-term speculation with frequent reversals.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1873116833732620/

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