PARAGRAPH OF THE DAY –
Substance And Optics Of The Summit –
The recently concluded ‘informal’ summit meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Wuhan was more about optics than substance. That doesn’t take away from the fact that the summit was a much-needed one and has added to the ongoing attempts to bring the bilateral relations between the two Asian giants back on track. Most of all, the Wuhan summit has underlined the necessity of an entente cordialebetween the two countries, which have become increasingly distrustful of each other. In that sense, Wuhan was about the desire to return to the negotiating table, not about negotiating anything specific. It is, therefore, important to consider the timeline.
The run-up to Wuhan
India-China relations have been under great stress in recent years. The 2017 military standoff at the Doklam tri-junction and the war of words that followed vitiated a relationship that was already reeling under a great deal of pressure. The Wuhan summit should be viewed in the context of this vitiated atmosphere and a strong desire for stability and rapprochement. Both sides had emerged bruised from the Doklam standoff, and having sold their preferred versions of how the standoff ended for domestic political purposes, the desire to stabilise the relationship was visible since late last year. In December, the two Foreign Ministers met in New Delhi followed by a meeting between China’s then state councilor Yang Jiechi and Mr. Modi’s National Security Adviser, Ajit Doval, again in New Delhi. Then in February this year, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale visited China. The Wuhan summit was preceded by the visits of Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to China for Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meetings. These hectic diplomatic activities were accompanied by a clear change of tone in Beijing and New Delhi, reflecting a positive rethink on bilateral ties and a desire to avoid future military standoffs.
WORDS AND MEANING –
1) Entente cordiale
Meaning: A friendly agreement or relationship between two countries.
Example: The entente cordiale was cemented again.
Synonyms: Agreement, Understanding
2) Distrustful
Meaning: Feeling or showing distrust of someone or something.
Example: “I have grown up to be distrustful of men”
Synonyms: Mistrustful, Suspicious
Antonyms: Trusting
3) Negotiating
Meaning: Try to reach an agreement or compromise by discussion.
Example: “they refused to negotiate with the rebels”
Synonyms: Parley, Confer
4) Standoff
Meaning: A deadlock between two equally matched opponents in a dispute or conflict.
Example: “the 16-day-old stand-off was no closer to being resolved”
Synonyms: Deadlock, Stalemate
5) Vitiated
Meaning: Spoil or impair the quality or efficiency of.
Example: “development programmes have been vitiated by the rise in population”
6) Reeling
Meaning: If you reel, or your mind or brain reels, you feel very confused or shocked:
Example: Our team is reeling from five straight losses.
7) Rapprochement
Meaning: (especially in international affairs) an establishment or resumption of harmonious relations.
Example: “there were signs of a growing rapprochement between the two countries”
8) Bruised
Meaning: Having bruises.
Example: She was badly bruised but otherwise unhurt.
Synonyms: Distress, Upset
9) Hectic
Meaning: Full of incessant or frantic activity.
Example: “a hectic business schedule”
Synonyms: Frantic, Manic
Antonyms: Leisurely, Quiet
