PANKAJ SHARMA
I was in China—the
country of Dada Xi—early this month to participate in an international seminar
organized by one of the few most influential think tanks busy helping reshape
the policies of our neighbor for past few years. It was immediately after
recently held 19th congress of Communist Party of China (CPC) that I
visited the country and found the general socio-political environment charged with
the admiration for Xi Jinping, the president of China, who, during the party
convention, had arose to a status that only Mao Zedong enjoyed before him.
I left for this visit in the backdrop
of news stories in Indian media highlighting China’s hostile attitude in Dokalam
and the role it has been playing to block the United Nations (UN) declare Masood
Azahr a global terrorist, One Belt One Road (OBOR) has been another cause of
concern. The topic of Xi’s newly acquired political strength had also been
attracting a lot of apprehension in Indian media with experts giving their
opinion about its negative impact on India.
My interest, as a student of
international relations, in the mysterious, but visibly cute, personality of Xi
Jinping inspired me to explore the fact that why the people with so many
restrictions imposed on their freedom of political ideas, social activities and
democratic rights have such a huge liking for ‘Dada Xi’? My interaction with
people from different walks of life in China erased my impression about certain
things. Firstly, it is not a fact that common people, as well as scholars, in
China are so regimented that they do not freely express their opinions even
during one-to-one talks on the issues related to domestic political scene and
social environment. I found them freely discussing the need of having more and
more windows of communications in their one-to-one chat with me. Secondly, common
people in China do not see India as an enemy country and scholars also strongly
feel for a greater need of cooperation between India and China at all fronts
and admire the age old cultural and trace ties between our two countries.
Thirdly, younger generation in China is more attracted towards India than any
other country.
Chinese President Xi Jinping made a
high-profile visit to the birthplace of China’s Communist Party in Shanghai on
31st October with his colleagues from the new Politburo Standing Committee.
China’s seven most powerful men flew by private jet from Beijing to the
memorial site where the party held its first national congress more than 96
years ago. The grey brick building in the tree-lined former French Concession
was where Mao Zedong and 12 other delegates met in secret in July 1921. At that
time they were representing 57 members of China’s fledging Communist Party,
which is now the world’s biggest political group. Two days after the Standing
Committee members took the oath, swearing allegiance to the party and all of
its decisions, in the building where CPC took birth; I also visited the place
to have a feel of changing political and social climate of the country we are
competing with.
Rapid and visible consolidation of power
by Dada Xi is in last five years is something needs to be understood. It is
primarily because the former leader, Hu Jintao had been trying unsuccessfully
for his ‘socialist harmonious society’ concepts. China has always been a place
where strong leaders are liked more than the liberal ones. In an increasingly
pragmatic post-Deng China the people like result oriented leadership. The late
2013 round of reforms announced by Xi, were not revolutionary, but they were
evolutionary enough to have made an impact. I could also sense that what
Chinese like the most about Xi that he is one who appears outright confident.
I was told a story that how but people
have been calling him unofficially Xi Dada or Big Xi (Uncle Xi) for quite a few
years since he came and how when he nodded to this in an official event people
completely fell in love with this moniker. It was game-changing Scholars also fondly mention about his visit
to Mexico in 2009 when he was Vice President and the speech he delivered there
impromptu with language that was extremely easy and equally powerful. This was
a huge contrast to the official speak-immersed Hu who was still the president. Chinese
have a strong feeling that Xi is implementing the rule of law in the country in
a more structured way. His crackdown on corruption stories also making him
popular by each passing day.
I did not find signs of any prospects
of a radical change in the system of Xi’s China. Politically it will remain
‘China’; economically it will become a clearer carbon copy of liberal Western
democracies with the passage of time; and, socially it will be as conservative
to open the windows to the world as it had been until now. The principle of
continued leadership under the Communist party, conviction to the core ideology
and typical Chinese characteristics will still play an important role. No Xi
can think of deviating from the path set by the forefathers of China.
Mao-era system is still detrimental for
some people and one can sense resentment on such issues. For instance, people
from Harbin cannot go to Hong Kong as individual travelers whereas people from
Beijing can. The world's second-largest country by GDP still has a restricted visa
system for its own citizens. Visa waivers are still unheard-of except for a
handful of countries outside. One can find young people feeling uncomfortable
with such restrictions. Another aspect is the Internet control which younger
generation finds illogical. But scholars will tell you that how important it is
to have ‘our own instruments of internet communications’ for China.
Xi is a person with full of personal
charisma. His love to soccer is almost known to everyone in China, which shows
he is close to civilians. When Xi once visited a steamed buns shop and had
breakfast with customers, event changed the perception about him and one would
find people with the stories about how much Xi cares for ordinary masses.
Xi is a tough leader compared with past
presidents in China. He used to work in the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA). His
still showing the great interest in military affairs as a president is
something Chinese people like strongly. I could watch a full documentary in my
hotel room about Xi’s visits to inspect the army wearing military uniform with
people waving to him with big enthusiasm.
Contrary to common belief, that
strengthening of Xi is not in the interest of India, I would say, it is only with
Xi in China that India’s scope of sizable improvement in relations is possible
in a structured way. I stressed on the fact during my formal interaction with
Chinese scholars that our two countries are suffering from trust deficit after Chinese
aggression in 1962. This not only hurt Jawahar Lal Nehru who felt ditched but
disturbed the sentiments of the entire Indian nation. I explained that unless
major efforts of healing are made from Chinese side, there are less chances of
improvement in Indo-China relations. I also made it a point to make them understand
the urgent need for a positive initiative from Chinese side.
I sensed that overdose of ‘nationalism’
purely for political reason is equally an unwelcome phenomenon with Chinese
people as it is with Indian people. I told the Chinese scholars that their
country must share more and
more information with India, should refrain from being secretive or coy and let
Indian people know you because it's very difficult to trust an unknown
commodity.
To make China
realise the futility of unnecessary hypes on the issues such as border disputes
and a seat to India in United Nations Security Council, Prime Minister Narendra
Modi must also adopt more and more non-conventional and non-governmental
methods. In my opinion, he needs to tilt a little the direction of the Sabarmati-swings
towards informality. Only then the expectations emerged from Modi sharing the
swings with Xi at Sabarmati after only three months of his taking over as prime
minister will yield results. India had given such a grand
public reception to any Chinese leader in past six decades after Zhou En-Lai
when Xi visited us in the third week of September 2014. Why are we letting the
goodwill generated from this visit go into oblivion? Most of us think of pride as self-centeredness, conceit, boastfulness,
arrogance, or haughtiness. The time has come when we drag ourselves out of
this. Are India and China enemies? I think, we are friends at odds.
Author is a senior journalist and the national
office bearer of the Congress Party.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment