China has had numerous boundary disputes with its neighbors and except for the dispute with India; it has a track record of having solved all its disputes in a peaceful manner with others.
Modi on the other hand is currently in China to bolster ties between the two countries. There are critics who complain that Modi is seen more out of the country than inside. This is an absurd allegation.
In a globalized world, there is a pressing need for greater interaction between nations to improve bilateral trade and security.
Modi is not visiting these countries out of fascination like a government employee on LTC, but because he genuinely feels the need to improve India’s international image and drum up support for India in the international community. These visits would go a long way towards removing major irritants such as border disputes which hamper trust and trade relations.
The recent ‘Land Boundary Agreement’ with Bangladesh is an excellent step forward. It showed that boundary disputes can be solved through negotiation and now India and Bangladesh can just focus on developmental issues.
Given China’s track record with boundary disputes, there is absolutely no reason why we cannot negotiate a peaceful settlement with them as well.
We can definitely do it and Prime Minister Modi needs all possible support at this juncture in the best interests of the nation.
