India should diversify its exports to China

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: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Beijing saw a medley of breakthroughs and setbacks. There are almost as many ostensible ‘win-win’ scenarios as real ‘zero-sum’ ones. And holding together the flimsy edifice is the roster of Eleven Protocols. And they cover virtually every facet of the two economies.

They begin with A Shared Vision for the 21st Century for India and China that commits them to peace and friendship. Based on the earlier agreement of 2005, rapprochement is topmost; the vision document says that the Indo-Chinese relationship should be based on ‘friendship and trust’, and heed all ‘concerns and aspirations’.

Secondly, a MoU for cooperation between Yojana Bhavan and China’s National Development and Reform Commission provides for mutual cooperation, improved information exchange, joint macro-economic management, and medium to long-term planning—initiatives to be underpinned by annual vice-ministerial (secretary) level dialogues.

There is also a MoU on cooperation between the railway ministries of both, while another is a MoU between India’s ministry of housing & urban poverty alleviation, and China’s ministry of construction. The latter supplies a framework for cooperation in housing, housing policies, technologies and construction standards. The Fifth Protocol is yet another MoU between India’s ministry of rural development and China’s ministry of land resources for cooperation in land resource management, conservation and utilisation. Then there is a MoU between the ICCR and the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries on India-China Joint Medical Missions. Young doctors, ten each from India and China, would jointly impart medical consultations, and treatment, in India and China in 2008.

The seventh is another MoU between the ICCR and China’s People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. Under it, both countries have agreed to cooperate in diverse fields of culture, including publications and seminars. The eighth is a MoU on cooperation between GSI and China’s Geological Survey in geo-sciences; they will cooperate in R&D projects. The ninth is also a MoU, between the Department of AYUSH (ministry of health and family welfare) and the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (SATCM) for cooperation in traditional medicine.