tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68939623754120985692012-01-07T20:05:37.679-08:00This blog seeks to encourage a dialogue between citizens of India and China, to improve understanding of the largest and oldest civilizations in the world. India is a miracle of democracy, demonstrating that its political unity lies in it diversity. China, a Communist political structure apparently breaking the ideological mold, its economic reforms over the past couple of decades have made the world take notice. What lessons could be drawn from these contrasting experiences?Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.comBlogger841100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-17403095897498324762011-02-16T02:14:00.000-08:002011-02-16T02:14:45.759-08:00

China has many problem, but unlike the stagnation and despair that has been characteristic of Egypt, the broad story in China has been one of dynamism and optimism. The urban middle classes have been the primary beneficiaries of the Deng Xiaoping-initiated state-led capitalism that has seen China emerge from a poverty-stricken past into a richer, confident 21st century future. Popular resentments

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-46139250450441998772010-12-21T00:34:00.000-08:002010-12-21T00:36:17.067-08:00

China and India are divided over several issues like territorial sovereignty, regional security and global governance. The main issue in Wen’s visit was the strong Indian reaction to China’s practice of issuing stapled visas to the Indian citizens from Jammu and Kashmir. S.M. Krishna told his Chinese counterpart, Yang Jiechi, that Delhi expects Beijing to show sensitivity to Indian concerns on

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-64328738504326202742010-12-20T23:47:00.000-08:002010-12-20T23:52:16.348-08:00

In the Chinese Premier, Wen Jiabao's visit to India, there was an emphasis on developing closer business ties with India in different areas, which includes banking, finance and green technologies.The current imbalances are likely to persist as Indian exports are less competitive in Chinese Markets. Wen Jiabao’s visit facilitated closer integration of banking and financial sectors of the two

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-84105213552337233172010-12-07T02:16:00.000-08:002010-12-07T02:40:43.105-08:00

The world's interest in learning Mandarin is soaring as the Chinese economy does the same. From April 2011 onwards students in CBSE schools will be introduced to Mandarin. Mandarin will be the 13th foreign language to be introduced in the curriculum. The popularization of the programme will face obstacles in implementation, reports The Financial Express.As the Chinese economy soars, so does the

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-43858081273985157552010-12-04T02:15:00.000-08:002010-12-07T02:16:37.494-08:00

Chinese President Wen Jiabao's will be visting India on 16-17, in the year when India and China will be celebrating the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relationships, and both the countries have rediscovered each other. There are challenges as well as opoortunities. China is not only the neighbouring country of India, it is an emerging super power. Our borders are the most

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-37769136460657549732010-10-30T23:36:00.000-07:002010-10-30T23:36:25.534-07:00

Chinese think-tank, CASS, assesses national competitiveness, and finds China ahead of India on economic parameters, but says China needs to learn from India's legal system and protection of “vulnerable” groups, writes Ananth Krishnan in the article titled "Learn from India, says Chinese think-tank", published in the Hindu, on 27 October 2010. A report on “national competitiveness” released by

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-58875931908579499992010-10-29T10:17:00.000-07:002010-10-29T10:23:15.609-07:00

"China’s state-led model of winning hearts and minds is no match for India’s private effort", writes Sadanand Dhume in "Likable India" in The Wall Street Journal (October 25, 2010). A few excerpts."Scholars and journalists alike tend to make much of China’s vaunted "charm offensive." It turns out, however, that when it comes to winning hearts and minds—at least democratic hearts and minds—China’s

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-52623111522047678172010-10-24T07:47:00.000-07:002010-10-24T07:47:35.374-07:00

Despite the surface commonalities, the Olympics and the CWG are not in the same league, just as, despite being hyphenated, India and China are not on par, writes Pallavi Aiyar, in the Business Standard, titled "A tale of two games". Here are a few excerpts. In China, the years leading up to 2008 saw Olympianism emerge as the country’s new religion; any questioning of the Games, the equivalent of

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-61378554623754281302010-09-14T11:28:00.000-07:002010-09-14T11:29:13.653-07:00

World Economic Forum is hosting a meeting in Beijing this week. In this news item by PTI, filed from Beijing, report a side event, where Peking University economist Fu Jun said that  India has comparative strategic advantage in the value chain whereas China relied mostly on the labour and cost advantages. This is from the Times of India on 14 Sept. 2010, under the title "Indian model of growth

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-25777669019375189322010-09-10T02:32:00.000-07:002010-09-14T22:01:06.139-07:00

The sovereign debt crisis of Europe has shaken the Euro, and exposed fissures in the European Union.Chinese demands for the lifting of an arms embargo have been publicly backed by Spain.There is massive public support for the euro. It is a smart political move as of the fact that China’s exchange rate policy is still vulnerable to international criticism, writes Pallavi Aiyar in Business

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-59989906357400940992010-08-26T09:33:00.000-07:002010-08-29T09:35:35.737-07:00

India and China were really successful on nation-state building.In both countries nationalism arose against the defeats, humiliations and injustice these nations went through during the period of western imperialism. Both countries used western ideas to overthrow foreign domination.It is wise to avoid nationalism in India-China relations, as it is a double-edged sword.The AG2 framework will

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-41444268521211176632010-08-25T02:18:00.000-07:002010-08-26T02:25:02.177-07:00

This is the Chinese year of the tiger and people are interested in saving the tiger from extinction more than ever. Several conferences are being held, and a lot of money is being thrown at saving the tiger, but all this can't work if the Government can't mitigate the conflict between locals and wild animals. The lack of agricultural productivity forces farmers to encroach on the habitat of the

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-78813839751518157992010-08-22T10:15:00.000-07:002010-08-23T22:21:31.027-07:00

Last week, China was officially acknowledged as the the world's second largest economy, moving ahead of Japan, and second only to the US. While the news was on front pages in India, there was no jubilation in China. The Times of India, had a special feature to mark the occasion. Saibal Dasgupta, the Beijing correspondant of the newspaper, looks at some of the implications and challenges, in the

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-55888766764198619832010-08-20T13:07:00.000-07:002010-08-22T13:09:34.634-07:00

Excerpts from Asian Journal of Political Science, 20th August 2010 Edition:"Compared to China Indian public policy still has a lot of room for improvements.‘Maoists’ or Naxalites threaten political stability and economic freedom.Geopolitics may explain India’s late, slow and incomplete reforms. Therise of Asia, in particular of China and India, generates geopolitical challenges of its

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-61883424467282854942010-08-19T04:49:00.000-07:002010-08-19T04:49:17.468-07:00

China has been making inroads in to Africa at a rapid pace, over the past decade. This has triggered a debate on the qualitative differences between conventional western influence in Africa, over the past two centuries, and the implications of China's entry. James Shikwati, is an old friend of mine, and he runs IREN,one of Africa's few free market think tanks in Nairobi. Mr Shikwati has now

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-75781926834578076172010-08-13T21:47:00.000-07:002010-08-13T21:48:15.569-07:00

Two crouching tigers, some hidden dragons The winds of change between the two giants could impact not only the environment but also politics. In this article published in the special issue (July-August 2010) of the "India China Chronicle", I look at the possible implications of the cooperation between these two countries at the climate conference in Copenhagen, last year. I believe a much bigger

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-41700688730588129082010-08-11T08:45:00.000-07:002010-08-30T08:47:51.863-07:00

When an overwhelming majority of Chinese businessmen say that the main reason for their success is network connections (guangxi), especially with government officials, most Indian businessmen attribute their success to Jugaad, ability to get around prohibitive laws.Most Indian businessmen see corruption a problem when the Chinese success story is mainly Government led. China has been less

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-5991875019073974672010-08-03T07:06:00.000-07:002010-08-05T07:10:02.588-07:00

There is no dearth of commentary on economic comparison of India and China. A new study by the Legatum Institute says that Entrepreneurs in both the country are bullish about the economy. When most entrepreneurs in India start on their own, for being their own boss, Chinese entrepreneurs do it for money. Many Chinese owe their entrepreneurial spirit to the state, when such is not the case in

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-34731806517005225002010-08-01T10:34:00.000-07:002010-08-01T10:55:11.983-07:00

One issue which the media likes to focus on, quite periodically, is the Sino-India border problem, and it is true that the border issue has been simmering for a long time. But there is much more to the relationship between these two Asian neighbours, much beyond borders. Pallavi Aiyar, who spent six years in China as a journalist, speaks to Nitin Pai on how the media is shaped in the two

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-48345633687065643412010-07-31T03:10:00.001-07:002010-07-31T03:19:21.003-07:00

Chinese officials have acknowledged that the Chinese economy has overtaken Japan's, and is now second only to the US.Mr Yi Gang, China's chief currency regulator, mentioned the milestone on Friday, 30 July 2010. "China, in fact, is now already the world's second-largest economy," he said in an interview with China Reform magazine posted on the website (www.safe.gov.cn) of his agency, the State

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-71429101421555842832010-07-27T07:02:00.000-07:002010-07-27T07:03:28.674-07:00

India China Economic and Cultural CouncilCordially invites you toLaunch of India-China ChronicleByDr. Shashi Tharoor(Member of Parliament, Former Indian Minister of State for External Affairs and United Nations Under-Secretary General forCommunications and Public Information)At 7:00 PM, on 12th August, 2010Venue: Ballroom, Shangri La's Eros Hotel, 19 Ashok Road, New DelhiPROGRAMMEIntroductory

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-65540592629672547642010-07-11T06:24:00.000-07:002010-07-11T06:37:52.119-07:00

This report titled "India looks to Chinese rice hybrid to raise productivity" was published in The Financial Express on July 11 2010.The agriculture ministry plans to replicate the Chinese model for hybrid rice production in the eastern states. The ministry has proposed a task force on promotion of hybrid rice and will push for private sector participation in the development of the hybrid

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-72036841462873461082010-05-28T07:26:00.000-07:002010-05-28T07:51:52.356-07:00

Labour unions going on strike is quite common in India. Just this week, a section of the state run airline, Air India, had gone on strike for two days causing huge disruption, and inconveniencing thousands of passengers. The government responded by sacking dozens of employees, and derecognising a couple of the unions, in an uncommon move.In China, of course, labour unrest is generally not in the

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-43317331324549178982010-05-26T08:20:00.000-07:002010-05-26T08:23:02.330-07:00

This article by Nitin Pai was published in Yahoo on May 25th 2010. You can read the full article here....Part due to the wishfulness of the rhetoric surrounding Barack Obama's campaign and part due to the economic crisis it sunk into, it became fashionable in the United States to ignore geopolitical realities, and instead engage in a fresh bout of fantasising about China. Influenced by

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-78780506280933227382010-05-24T07:23:00.000-07:002010-05-24T07:24:43.502-07:00

Niall Ferguson, Harvard historian, is one of the world's authors on geoeconomic, global systemic, money and finance, and other key international strategic issues. He delivered the Peterson Institute's ninth annual Niarchos Lecture on May 13, 2010, on the topic "Fiscal Crises and Imperial Collapses: Historical Perspectives on Current Predicaments." The transcript is available here.A few extracts

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-42926769072696070802010-05-15T21:32:00.000-07:002010-05-15T22:17:59.082-07:00

Zhiwu Chen's article "Renminbi Revaluation Won't Trigger a Shopping Spree" was published onYaleGlobal on 12th May 2010.Here are a few excerpts:Revaluation of the renminbi will simply result in a shift of manufacturing among emerging markets, leaving the US with a somewhat smaller trade deficit, higher prices for imported goods and higher interest rates, but not necessarily higher levels of

Shanu Anoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-55238806133103949462010-05-12T20:08:00.000-07:002010-05-15T02:03:14.904-07:00

Continuing the earlier discussion on the value of Chinese yuan, here is another article from the Wall Street Journal Asia, that finds that given the nature of Chinese exports, a 5% re-valuation would barely add 25 cents to the price of a T-shirt sold in the US. Joseph Sternberg's article, "The Irrelevant Yuan?" was published on 5 May 2010. Here are a few excerpts.To some in Washington these days,

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-2478000852907445762010-05-08T21:24:00.000-07:002010-05-08T23:04:33.207-07:00

A year long celebrations have commenced to mark the 150th of India's national poet Rabindranath Tagore in May 2011. Tagore was the first Asian to be awarded the Nobel Prize in literature in 1913. In the 1920s, Tagore had visited China thrice, and made many friends. Tagore's poems were first translated in Chinese in 1915. Tagore too had referred to China and its civilisation in many of his

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-92177443948670898412010-05-03T06:18:00.000-07:002010-05-03T06:34:12.351-07:00

Last couple of years, there have been a rising demand among a section of policy makers to accuse China of keeping its currency undervalued, and thereby gaining an unfair trade advantage for its exports. A recent meeting of G-20 finance ministers and central bankers, India and Brazil too lent their voice calling for a stronger Chinese yuan. But Jagdish Bhagwati & Arvind Panagariya, two eminent

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-50402921635982195072010-04-29T22:01:00.000-07:002010-04-29T22:12:42.144-07:00

India has been ranked second in the list of "dirty dozen" spam relaying countries, accounting for over 7% of global junk mails sent during the first quarter of the year, according to a new study by Sophos.China, which has earned itself a bad reputation in many country's eyes for being the launch pad of targeted attacks against foreign companies and government networks, but at least in the last 12

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-60666218153475564142010-04-23T21:00:00.000-07:002010-04-29T21:42:15.807-07:00

China and India’s rapid rise has spawned many books and controversy. YaleGlobal, the online journal has two new articles that looks at the diverse strategies in China and India.In the first article, economist Pranab Bardhan, author of "Awakening Giants, Feet of Clay," takes a contrarian view, detailing challenges often overlooked by the financial media in celebrating short-term growth. He points

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-90306517867631947012010-04-11T22:19:00.000-07:002010-04-11T22:26:43.764-07:00

China's stunning economic rise is one of the biggest stories of this generation. The transformation has occurred so quickly that myths and misperceptions abound about the challenges and opportunities that China poses to America and the rest of the world. Arthur Kroeber, the managing director of GaveKal-Dragonomics, an economic research firm in Beijing, lists “Five myths about China’s economy” in

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-15891688020768942602010-04-11T10:53:00.000-07:002010-04-11T23:10:06.728-07:00

For the first time in Six year, China posted a monthly trade deficit of $7.2 billion, in March 2010. Exports totaled $112.11 billion in March, up 24.3% from a year earlier. Imports reached US$119.35 billion, up 66% compared to the same period last year, Xinhua reported. China's global trade surplus was $7.6 billion in February and the combined January-February surplus was $21.8 billion.

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-59260852359046183052010-01-06T05:55:00.000-08:002010-01-06T06:01:57.957-08:00

The Wall Street Journal reported on Jan 6, 2010, that China is likely to export more goods than Germany in 2009.China took over the mantle of the world's top merchandise exporter from Germany in 2009, according to the latest figures, aided by a global economic crisis that has taken a greater toll on other trading powers. China exported $957 billion of goods in the first 10 months of 2009,

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-51814537280771151182010-01-01T21:49:00.000-08:002010-01-01T22:03:59.538-08:00

As 2009 came to a close, and the new year dawned, two prominent Indian economists and columnists picked up their crystal balls, and looked at the decade ahead. Among other things, both of them compared the future economic trajectories of both China and India.Sawminathan Aiyar makes eight predictions in his article "India to overtake China in 2020" in Times of India, on Jan 1, 2010. The first

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-73176004582543996612009-12-26T07:17:00.000-08:002009-12-26T07:42:02.006-08:00

Even before the much touted UFCCC had begun in Copenhagen, high level discussions had been taking place between China and India. While there were reports about the flurry of discussions, not many really grasped the significance of these encounters.The world got a glimpse of the possible changes in the international political relationship that could significantly alter the prevailing world

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-20864944080584984112009-12-05T23:07:00.000-08:002009-12-05T23:17:37.409-08:00

China and India have an opportunity to change the climate of negotiations, a week before the opening of the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Copenhagen. Continuing economic reforms have been making the economy more energy efficient. Irrespective of whether the planet is warming, or whether CO2 is the cause, between 1992 and 2007, the carbon intensity of the economies of the

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-26048864098984274552009-11-19T10:26:00.000-08:002009-11-19T10:33:44.414-08:00

India China Economic and Cultural Council (ICEC Council) and the Federation of Indian Micro and Small & Medium Enterprises (FISME) hosted the Roundtable Discussion on 'India-China Financial Cooperation' on 13th November 2009 at the India International Centre as part of the concluding session of the 3rd High Level India-China Finance Conference. (The conference this year was held from 10 - 13

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-84855946935260029762009-11-14T10:29:00.000-08:002009-11-14T10:35:59.228-08:00

Chaoliang Jing of Cathay Institute for Public Affairs, Beijing, sent this brief report on the conference that was held on 11 Nov 2009.Under the moderation of Profs Mao Shoulong and Feng Xingyuan, the conference has been carried out basically in line with the agenda except for some minor and understandable adjustment and it proved a success in the end.Paticipating in the conference were many

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-48033751107388163192009-11-12T20:30:00.000-08:002009-11-16T04:43:43.004-08:00

This week the world commemorated the fall of the Berlin Wall, 20 years ago. That signaled the demise of communism in Europe. 1989 was also the year when China witnessed unprecedented upheaval in Tienanmen Square in the summer, which was forcibly ended on June 4. Not surprisingly, there has been lot of commentaries in the media looking at the events in 1989, and comparing fall of communism in

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-43222326500510316542009-11-08T22:15:00.000-08:002009-11-09T19:51:05.733-08:00

Every now and then China India border attracts political and media attention. Today the issue of the border is in the news again because of Dalai Lama's visit to Arunachal Pradesh. But borders need not be looked upon as territorial boundaries, completely isolating the two sides.Even recognising the border dispute, and working to find a peaceful solution to the actual coordinates of the border, it

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-70986636282390256442009-11-05T20:28:00.000-08:002009-11-05T23:55:19.045-08:00

Sino-India trade has been growing at about 50% annually over the past decade. It is estimated to reach $60 billion by the end of 2009-10, growing from barely $2.3 bn in 2001. Since 2005-06, India's trade deficit has grown too, and put at over $20 bn, in 2008-09. Suparna Karmakar writes in the Hindu Business Line newspaper, on Nov 6, 2009, about a study done at the Institute for South Asian

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-82772904584217475302009-11-03T20:17:00.000-08:002009-11-04T01:38:40.108-08:00

Today, front page headlines in China and India report on the possible impact of Dalai Lama on the relations between the two countries. Can one man really cast such a large shadow on two of the world's largest countries, and oldest civilisations? China is opposed to Dalai Lama visiting the north eastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, accuses him for trying to damage relations between the two

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-34924010583479992552009-11-03T04:08:00.000-08:002009-11-03T04:19:35.816-08:00

I recently came across these two interesting articles by Prof Victor Shih. Mr Shih, an assistant professor of political science at Northwestern University, is author of “Factions and Finance in China:” (Cambridge University Press, 2008). He blogs at Elite Chinese Politics and Political Economy.In recent months, with the global economic slowdown, there has been a lot of talk about the role of

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-50205514984956382672009-11-03T03:35:00.000-08:002009-11-03T03:42:05.207-08:00

Economic cooperation can overcome border tensions, writes Amitendu Palit and Alec van Gelder in the Wall Street Journal, 2 Nov 2009.This is the latest flowering of an ancient relationship. The busy Southern Silk Route connected the Sichuan basin in China and the Gangetic plains in India for almost 3,000 years, and it never completely disappeared. This promoted exchange of saffron and silk and the

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-32676162336790614292009-11-02T00:03:00.000-08:002009-11-02T01:28:20.588-08:00

Conference Hosted by the Cathay Institute for Public Affairs (CIPA)Beijing, 11 Nov 2009AgendaSession One: the Enterprises’ Capital Freedom Index in China : the Release Ceremony and Discussion on the New Book and the Latest Research Results ConcernedModerator: Prof Mao Shoulong13:30-14:00Release of “the Report on Enterprises’ Capital Freedom, 2009”Opening Speech by Feng Xingyuana brief time set

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-54915345798557539152009-11-01T20:50:00.000-08:002009-11-02T01:29:30.231-08:00

Omkar Goswami, a noted economist and opinion maker, in a recent column in the weekly magazine, the Businessworld, 31 Oct 2009, looks at the state of China India relationship, and says that China can not be a friend of India, and calls for rapid growth, strengthening of border, and ties with US, Russia and others.The pro-China groups in India are barking up the wrong tree. They don’t, and won’t,

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-39512207961439556742009-11-01T02:32:00.000-08:002009-11-04T02:47:46.758-08:00

Beijing Review, the influential and official weekly news magazine, has become the latest vehicle for public diplomacy between China and India. Just this attempt to talk about trade on a public platform is a very welcome step.In an article titled, "Stumbling Blocks for China-India Trade", on 17 Sept 2009, excerpts from a report on bilateral economic relations by Economic Information Daily was

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-46101716526646331582009-10-30T21:13:00.000-07:002009-11-02T01:31:30.580-08:00

In a commentary in the Economist magazine on 29 Oct 2009, titled, "Himalayan histrionics", the article claims that the real problem between China and India lies in the unresolved border dispute. It points out that China has resolved every other major land dispute with its neighbour, except this one. What has changed in recent years is the situation in Tibet, with the unrest last year, the Chinese

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-4143475864606427512009-10-29T23:32:00.000-07:002009-10-30T00:16:01.033-07:00

The Dalai Lama is expeced to visit Arunachal Pradesh next week. China has not only objected to Dalai Lama's visit, it has also claimed the state as its own. The Chinese and Indian leaders at their summit meeting in Thailand earlier this month, apparently did not raise this issue, and instead agreed to focus on the areas of mutual agreement. Yet, before and after the summit, the Indian government

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-1836216615161346192009-10-29T08:42:00.000-07:002009-10-29T10:17:18.570-07:00

Over the past few months, there has been a lot items in the media, both in China and India, looking at various implications, and analysing the different possible scenarios in the relationship between the two. While public diplomacy is welcome, yet one has to note the different circumstances in which the media operates in the two countries. In India, the media is by and large free to comment any

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-11476463894353152512009-10-28T04:25:00.000-07:002009-10-28T05:47:10.876-07:00

India ranked 45 Vs China's 75 on parameters of wealth & well-beingRoger Bate & Barun MitraDaily News & Analysis, 27 October 2009(Please read the original article here.)Together, India and China account for 40% of the world's population and about 16% of the world's economic output. China bests India in both categories. And as home to glittering cities like Shanghai and Hong Kong, it's generally

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-40407620684068600022009-10-07T11:30:00.000-07:002009-10-07T12:16:19.786-07:00

China marked the 60th anniversary of Communist rule on Oct 1, with a big parade in Tiananmen Square in Beijing. Almost a week after, analysts across are still trying to decipher the significance.2009 is also the 20th anniversary of the student protests in Tiananmen Square. This is also the 20th year since the fall of the Berlin Wall, which signalled the beginning of the collapse of Soviet Union

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-40414243111887560422009-10-03T04:06:00.000-07:002009-10-03T04:19:55.503-07:00

The 60th anniversary of Communism in China, has coincided with a lot of items in Indian and other international media, looking at various flash points in the relationship between the two of the largest countries in the world. Here is the latest by an Indian journalist.Indrani Bagchi, the diplomatic editor at the Times of India, has written a detailed analysis in the Crest, the weekend paper,

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-66242497971185339612009-10-02T21:56:00.000-07:002009-10-02T22:06:52.016-07:00

Jude Blanchette, of Atlas Economic Research Foundation, USA, sent the following note:A new piece appearing in Foreign Policy magazine by Indian journalist Kapil Komireddi argues that India must begin playing "hardball" with China. Komireddi only hints at what this entails (something about the Dalai Lama)."Indian democracy vexes Beijing. If India can guarantee fundamental rights to its diverse

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-54748764972028660922009-10-02T21:45:00.000-07:002009-10-02T21:55:25.378-07:00

Frank Ching, a Hong Kong-based writer whose book, “Ancestors: 900 Years in the Life of a Chinese Family,” was republished few months ago in paperback, writes in Yale Global on the Challenges for China at 60. Ching says that while cagey about its internal affairs, and always warning foreigners of interfering in China's internal affairs, be it Tibet, human rights or media freedom, China does not

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-81689425606801574062009-09-30T20:18:00.000-07:002009-09-30T21:05:25.819-07:00

Here is an assessment of China, by Kent Deng, who is the chair of China studies at the London School of Economics. The article "How far has China come?" was published in the Indian Express newspaper on 30 Sept 2009.The history of the People’s Republic so far can be divided into two periods of about 30 years each: Maoism from 1949 to c.1979, and the post-Mao period from 1979 to 2009.Maoism, 1949-

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-31561340719508384402009-09-30T20:03:00.000-07:002009-09-30T20:18:40.050-07:00

As China celebrates the sixtieth anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic this week, India must take a deep breath and begin a fundamental rethink its strategy towards the rising giant north of our borders, writes C Raja Mohan, the Henry A. Kissinger Chair in Foreign Policy and International Relations at the Library of Congress, Washington DC, in the Indian Express, "The middle path"

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-48356623814723397842009-09-29T10:29:00.000-07:002009-09-29T11:03:56.865-07:00

Old Indian films were widely screened in China in the late 1970s, and were said to be quite popular with its larger than life characters, and mixture of emotion, drama, colours, and song and dance. But subsequently, censorship and limited quota for foreign films reduced the flow of India films to China. Yet, it is quite common place to find VCDs and DVDs of new and old Indian films on the

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-37643979951677649082009-09-25T21:25:00.000-07:002009-09-25T21:41:37.675-07:00

China Review looks at the current hot topic of China-India relation. This was shared by Chaoliang, a Chinese friend, who also summarised the article in English. The original Chinese article can be found here. The governments of both sides hopes to enjoy peace around the boarder. Especially, although there have appeared storms of propaganda about Chinese aggressiveness inn Indian media, the

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-22034634810079197242009-09-25T19:41:00.000-07:002009-09-30T20:03:06.378-07:00

Kaushik Basu, Chairman, Department of Economics and Professor of Economics and International Studies at Cornell University, has just been appointed Chief Economic Adviser to India’s Finance Ministry. In a recent article he looks at the parallel and contrasts between China and India. Here are a few key points.The mainsprings of development in these nations are widely different, even though their

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-45180072339183808492009-09-25T12:08:00.000-07:002009-09-25T12:26:05.392-07:00

Professor Pranab Bardhan, a renowned economist at University of California at Berkley, has an an article in YaleGlobal on "Challenges for China at 60". He looks at the relationship between the political authorities in the Communist Party, and the leaders of enterprises in China. The online journal which studies globalisation, summarises the article as follows.China is in many ways a land of

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-65760125237225474092009-09-25T01:09:00.000-07:002009-09-25T12:28:19.273-07:00

An expanded version of my earlier post on this blog "Breaking News" has been published in the Financial Express. In it I also suggest a possible way to look at the border dispute in a broader light.The media warriors have, of course, attempted to wrap their rhetoric in tricolour. In the heat of battle, they may have missed one small point. Much of the China-India border is disputed by one side

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-33088345924391189832009-09-24T23:55:00.000-07:002009-09-25T00:18:31.903-07:00

China and India are two of the largest countries in the world, by, with well over a billion people in each. If there is one thing that is available in plenty in both countries, is labour, that is people willing to work.There are 30,000 people Chinese working in India today. But these are not people who have come to work on Chinese projects in India. I did not even know that Indian companies,

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-3842627431753199212009-09-22T22:23:00.000-07:002009-09-22T22:42:15.781-07:00

China and India share thousands of kilometers of border, much of it in not very hospitable heights of the Himalayan mountains. Yet, demand for trade among people on both sides have persisted. Given the lack of enthusiasm in both governments towards more open trade across these borders, smugglers have taken over. Two recent news reports in indicate the rise of barter among traders along parts of

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-42557629516153920242009-09-21T01:56:00.000-07:002009-09-21T02:32:06.529-07:00

Here is a sample of press clippings sent by a Chinese friend. Gives a flavour of how at least some in China are looking at the Indian media reports on tension between the two countries. I am very grateful to my friend for translating the headlines in to English.杨洁篪外长认为中印之间没有根本的利害冲突，呼吁加强合作[Yang Jiechi, Chinese foreign Minister, claims that there is no fundamental conflicts between China and India,

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-10851694761602831732009-09-20T02:08:00.000-07:002009-09-20T11:32:55.476-07:00

Apart from any geopolitical factors, there are two plausible explanations for the current focus on China India border, particularly on a few TV news channels in India. We are being daily fed with reports of Chinese incursions, China’s aggressive postures, China’s military build up, China paining rocks red, and then the media is blowing hot and cold over whether the Indian military is capable or

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-6423476290019442142009-09-18T22:57:00.000-07:002009-09-19T12:48:31.976-07:00

When I started this forum a couple of months ago, I had no idea that much of the popular discussion on China and India, at least in the Indian media, would get dominated by the differences over the border, and security and strategic concerns. While these political concerns have to be faced, it is also true that these concerns need to be put in a wider perspective. In an earlier post, I had

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-59569384610546225512009-09-18T11:55:00.000-07:002009-09-19T13:00:52.270-07:00

A 2C rise in global temperatures will not necessarily result in the calamity predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), China's most senior climatologist has told the Guardian, the British newspaper.While the IPCC warns a 2C rise substantially increases the risks of floods, drought and storms, the report quotes the Chinese official,Xiao Ziniu, the director general of the

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-77856098179037721922009-09-14T10:27:00.000-07:002009-09-15T22:50:38.435-07:00

Given the increase in political temperature following a number of reports in the Indian media, about the various Chinese inclursions in to India, across the line of actual control, Nitin Pai and Sushant K Singh write in the Mint, "Interpreting China’s attitude" (14 Sept 2009), suggests that viewing Beijing as a political monolith is erroneous. Indian attitudes require realism in dealing with

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-65159279820102174152009-09-14T00:26:00.000-07:002009-09-14T00:37:48.799-07:00

Over the last couple of years, there has been a sense of growing political tension between China and India. Whether it is China's claim on parts of India's north eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, or the recent media reports on incursions by Chinese troops across the line of control, these and similar events have only contributed to sense of unease. Although, official sources on both sides have

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-47047315544322807142009-09-13T10:15:00.000-07:002009-09-19T13:12:23.119-07:00

One-party autocracy certainly has its drawbacks. But when it is led by a reasonably enlightened group of people, as China is today, it can also have great advantages. That one party can just impose the politically difficult but critically important policies needed to move a society forward in the 21st century. It is not an accident that China is committed to overtaking us in electric cars, solar

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-35585583255005916242009-09-13T01:07:00.000-07:002009-09-13T01:55:58.855-07:00

China's working-age population has been growing slowly, with rural surplus labor down to about 20 million from 150 million in recent years. In a report, Institute of Population and Labor Economics, of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, calls for the second labour advantage, by improving labor skills and increasing the level of education.The average student in the countryside attends school only

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-23101099963553040342009-09-11T01:57:00.000-07:002009-09-19T13:17:41.192-07:00

Two recent reports have once again highlighted the tremendous potential of wind energy in both China and India. The two reports, prepared by two distinct teams, have come to very similar conclusions. They say that 20-25% of electricity by the year 2030 could come from wind, if the government extends appropriate incentives. While releasing the report on India, the minister for renewable energy

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-44854271915896694862009-09-05T22:41:00.000-07:002009-09-07T00:53:28.946-07:00

In a new series of articles in the New York Times, titled "Uneasy Engagement", reporters have been looking at the rise of China, and the worries that many in the region are beginning to share. This is a contrast with India's experience, where India's economic growth has not sparked any particular concern even among its immediate neighbours. India's uneasy relationship with some of its immediate

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-35138801374261782192009-09-05T06:07:00.000-07:002009-09-05T06:28:52.223-07:00

The economic ties between China and India has been growing. China has become the leading trading partner of India. On international issues such as climate change, both countries seem to share a lot of common ground. Yet, defence and foreign policy experts on both sides periodically express grave concerns. Last month, there was that report from a Chinese think tank which said that fragmentation of

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-9996031416964979772009-08-29T22:31:00.000-07:002009-09-19T13:09:30.392-07:00

Mr Jairam Ramesh, the Indian environment minister was in China last week for the first ever ministerial level talk on climate change. The Chinese side was led by Mr Xie Zhen Hua, vice chairman of China’s National Development Reforms Commission. The two sides explored common grounds as part of their preparation for the upcoming UNFCCC meeting in Copenhagen in December 2009. Here are the key points

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-26799820447407301992009-08-22T02:18:00.000-07:002009-08-30T11:47:20.338-07:00

If one is to go by the experience of the Asian tigers, then economic progress did create the demand for political reforms as well. China so has bucked that trend. But this item in the New York Times, may be an early indication that the forces of economic growth may be paving the road for political reforms to follow.Internet censorship: "Since late May, Beijing’s Industry and Information

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-65099705992490880612009-08-14T00:45:00.000-07:002009-09-19T13:04:53.607-07:00

Over the last few weeks there have been a lot of reports in the Indian media about a report from the strategic community in China, on how to deal with India. These reports primarily noted how some Chinese experts look at India's social, ethnic diversities, and propose that China may want to consider leverage the various tensions within and weaken India, or even contributing to fragmenting the

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-78767029308027797912009-08-09T11:07:00.000-07:002009-09-19T13:08:08.669-07:00

Following analysis from a think tank in Chennai, is based on a publication authored by Chinese strategic experts who seem to believe that India's social and ethnic diversity is anachronistic, and could be exploited to break up India, as India never really existed in history. Is this line of thought mere rationalisation for China to justify intervention in India, in the hope of neutralising any

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-41264727660849657082009-08-07T11:43:00.000-07:002009-09-19T13:06:43.631-07:00

The two are also expected to talk the language of partnership, highlighted by a burgeoning trade and a common position on climate change and global trade talks. Yet a recent spike in geopolitical tensions as well as muscle flexing along the border, particularly in the Indian north eastern province Arunachal Pradesh. China claims a large part of this province.Of late, Chinese patrolling of the

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-41253769834464571002009-08-01T12:06:00.000-07:002009-09-19T13:15:56.744-07:00

Is there a new realisation in China that the price it may be paying for successfully implementing the one-child policy over the past three decades? Of course, it is estimated that well over half the population, those in rural areas, and other minorities, were generally granted some relaxation to this policy. Yet, it is becoming quite evident that China is likely to become the first country in the

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-9848048400845403012009-07-31T11:18:00.000-07:002009-08-10T11:37:09.860-07:00

Recently, a former foreign minister of India, Jaswant Singh, a member of the Lok Sabha, belonging to the BJP, paid tribute to a Chinese indologist, Ji Xianlin, who died at the ripe age of 98, on July 11, in Beijing.Ji Xianlin’s greatest scholarly accomplishments were in the realm of “the history of Indian Buddhism and comparative linguistics.” He was a greatly venerated Chinese scholar who had “

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6893962375412098569.post-16803766458006789232009-06-30T10:11:00.000-07:002009-08-10T11:40:12.821-07:00

In the current economic environment, lot is said to depend on the economic performance of China and India. But, if the data from economies like China are not reliable, then it raises serious questions on the validity of macroeconomic policies. Why are official figures from China questioned in a manner, that is not usual for most major economies in the world, including India?In June 2009, an

Barun Mitrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16622261378991052890noreply@blogger.com0