Reflections from China: an interview with Cheng Ruisheng.

• Author: Ishak, Diyana
• Position: Interview

Since the formalization of diplomatic relations in 1950, China and India have balanced a series of opportunities for cooperation against a host of potential conflicts. Cheng Ruisheng, veteran diplomat and former Chinese ambassador to India, discusses this complex relationship with the Journal's Diyana Ishak, and explains why he is optimistic about the future of Sino-Indian relations.

Journal of International Affairs: How would you describe China's foreign policy vis-a-vis India?

Ruisheng Cheng: China attaches much importance to our relationship with India because India is our second largest neighbor next to Russia. Both China and India are developing very fast economically. We wish to have a long term, stable and overall relationship with India. We already have a six-year strategic cooperative partnership and our policy is quite clear. This policy has been vindicated through our work in the past twenty to thirty years. Our Indian friends also understand quite well that China's policy toward India is a policy of friendship and cooperation.

Journal: What is the popular perception of India in China?

Cheng: The perception of India among the Chinese public is positive, particularly because people often get to know India through our classic novel, Journey to the West. Most Chinese people know India as the country where Buddhism originated. Nowadays, young Chinese people love Indian films very much, especially Bollywood films, which are very popular here. Yoga has also become very popular.

But those who have traveled in India, when they come back, they have some complaints. They find that life there is not as easy as in China. They find that India's infrastructure is in a backward state.

Furthermore, in China, very few people know there was a border war in 1962 between the two countries, unlike in India where many people have this memory. Common people in China don't know about the 1962 conflict, so usually people do not see any threat from India, especially with all of the friendly exchanges now.

People also usually know that, like China, India is developing very fast and there is a perception that India wants to have some competition with China. One day, a taxi driver even asked me when India will be able to catch up with China. I told him maybe not in the near future. The gap between China and India is still wide. Both China and India are performing quite well, but the rate of growth of GDP in China is at least 1 to 2 percent higher than it is in India.

Journal: In this issue, Arvind Panagariya contends that India is going to catch up and overtake China economically. Do you agree?

Cheng: In my view, India will definitely catch up with China one day as far as the rate of growth is concerned. China is an ageing country; big cities like Beijing already have an ageing society. In the next ten to twenty years, India will still have an increase in their labor force. China's population will increase a little in the next ten years, but after 2020 our labor force will be decreasing year by year. This is a big danger for us. At the same time, India's population will still be increasing and, by 2045, India will have the largest population in the world, followed by China.

For the near future, I think China's rate of growth will continue to be fast. China's manufacturing industry is much more advanced than India's. Also, foreign investment in China is much bigger than it is in India. For...