Sansad TV Perspective: CPC Plenary and its Impact on India

In the series Sansad TV Perspective, we bring you an analysis of the discussion featured on the insightful programme ‘Perspective’ on Sansad TV, on various important topics affecting India and also the world. This analysis will help you immensely for the IAS exam, especially the mains exam, where a well-rounded understanding of topics is a prerequisite for writing answers that fetch good marks.

In this article, we feature the discussion on the topic ‘CPC Plenary and its impact on India’.

Anchor: Vishal Dahiya 

Participants: 

1. Dilip Sinha, Former Ambassador
2. Prof. Srikanth Kondapalli, Center For East Asian Studies, SIS, JNU
3. Pramit Pal Chaudhuri, Foreign Affairs Editor, Hindustan Times

Context: 

The centenary of the Communist Party of China enlivened the historical achievements of the country under the guiding light of visionaries like Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping. The day witnessed the onset of the sixth plenum of the Communist Party of China (CPC) that discussed the draft resolutions, the party’s political ideologies and bureaucratic policies to be adopted. The economic and military acumen of Xi Jinping was acknowledged in the plenary session.

Importance for India

• Though there are insufficient disclosures about foreign policy in the communique that was unveiled in the public domain, there is no second thought that persists when it comes to China’s aggressive expansionism. The disputes over the South China Sea, Taiwan, Hong Kong are testimonies of such ideologies.
• The India-China relationship has been a time tested one and there have been subsequent disputes predominant over the land boundary that determines much of their shared geography. India shares 3488 km of border with China, which makes the context a more significant area of concern for India’s border security and foreign policy. China’s expansionist ideology triggered the impediment for India especially after the skirmish that took place in the Galwan region. Read more on the Indo-China border clash in the link.
• An important dimension was inferred by an expert in the panel which has a large implication on India’s border security. It was rightly pointed out that the plenum, in its larger formulation, suggested executing the forward policy of becoming strong. The word strong in the Chinese sense is to push the Chinese envelope into the neighbourhood which is a major concern for India.
• The communique that was released after the plenary session falls blank on several facts regarding China’s strategy to deal with environmental pollution and neighbourhood policies. This adds to the unpredictability of China’s land boundary norms and how they progress in the future. Therefore it is certainly a challenge for India to shape its foreign policy with respect to China. 
• When it comes to the oceanic space, India values the Freedom of Navigation principles unlike China’s aspiring hegemony in the South China Sea. Know more about the South China Sea dispute in the link.

Way Forward for India:

Amidst the territorial aggression and unexposed foreign policy led by China, there is always a scope for India to address the loopholes existing in the Chinese policies. Experts say that China finds it extremely difficult at the present times to continue the decoupling strategy whereas the world seems to decouple with China breaking the supply chain. India with its favourable environment for supply chains to grow with Ease of Doing Business can make an effort to increase its market competitiveness. India can expand its ‘Neighbourhood First Policy’ to make its predominance in the region intact through the route of compassion.

Read more summaries of Perspective in the link.

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