Not so new

Call it Shell out of the blue or adventurous diplomacy, India and China will resume high level military contacts. As the saying goes "If you are consistent in diplomacy you are a fool". Break in ties stopped paying dividend hence tie revival. None of these two sides expects any change in heart of another and both will continue to suspect each other. India worries about ring of pearls and China curses Iron curtain. India has problems with Sino-Pakistani ties and China has got problems with every second nation on earth. Indian ties with countries like Japan, South Korea, Australia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand, Mongolia, Turkmenistan etc. are causing a lot of trouble to China, and that is understandable.

On the other hand India is not new to the Sino-Pakistan love duet. What worries New Delhi is the reports confirming Chinese troops in POK. Which feels like Pakistan has outsourced its security to China. Although China has Gawadar-Karakoram link to save but positioning its troops near LOC, might create doubts in New Delhi for obvious reasons. Only future can tell if its a stopgap agreement between two countries as Pakistani defence lies thin in the view of current anti-terror operations in the country which has consumed a large part of Pakistan armies resources. Reports of Chinese cozying-up Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh has already troubled GOI in past and has forced it to take actions. Whether its Hambantota Port or Chittagong port, direct investment made by Government of China has always troubled policy makers in New Delhi.

Similarly, Indo-US nuclear deal and thriving defence ties between two countries could not find any takers in Beijing. Revival of defence ties and regular large scale military exercises has only worried Chinese leadership. Given the large scale presence of US forces in Asia, and continued US support to Taiwan has poured more chilly in Sino-Indian relations.

There is no dearth of people pro and anti Chinese Activists/Bureaucrats/ Politicians in India, very much similar to China. However it should be understood that these two countries with huge population cannot resist each other for too long, as it will only harm both. However easy it may appear, but it is not easy for both the nations to keep their apprehensions aside, the only way forward is to keep borders silent, resolve disputes as soon as possible and strengthen economic ties which includes eliminating trade imbalance and improving people to people contact which is extremely poor right now.