DRAGON TAMING OR JUMPING INTO THE FIRE?

The current Prime Minister has a weird way knack of being in news every time he decides to hitch a ride (and let's face it, he does do it A LOT!)...Now, now, before I get bashed up on Twitter he does do it so the country's foreign ties can flourish and the moolah can flow, so all good right? Anyways, that's for another day.... The recent trip to China has been all over news, social media and more (Man, I have to hire his PR firm..Wonder if it would do wonders for my career also?). Not to be a naysayer or anything, but is this fortune cookie another empty shell?

Although the media yesterday was splashed with words like 'stern message' & 'strong words never heard before', was there really anything new said? Maybeour PM said it in a more direct manner, but who can ever accuse Modi of being anything but? Remember the direct reference of Tibet being a part of China? I think it was more like a Freudian slip than a big political faux pas. But other than the stern message what are the key high lights of this 'new dawn' in the Indo-Sino relationship?

Modi's China visit had it all from hometown visits (another first), and visiting cultural heritage sites like Xi'an's Terracotta Warriors to the wrong map of India seeing air time on China's national news channel (just another day in the life of our hard working PM). But China's aggression when it comes to the border issues is no first...In fact the bilateral relations under both the NDA as well as the UPA has been rocky at best. Remember the infiltration bid by Chinese PLA in November to infiltrate into Ladakh soon after the President Xi Jingping's visit..Tough words or diplomacy both seem to have had little effect on Chinese aggression...

Of course the famous Chinese aggression hasn't really backtracked with the arrival of our 'formidable' PM Narendra Modi...Even as Modi landed in Xian, welcomed by the Chinese President Xi Jingping who breaking protocol welcomed a foreign delegate in his hometown for the first time (history being made here!), CCTV the national broadcaster for China aired a map show showing Arunachal Pradesh as a part of Tibet, while also a large part of Kashmir on the Indian map. The MEA & the govt of course hastened to demand a clarification from the Chinese Govt, which was followed by bilateral talks and an aggressive and stern message by Modi: 'Urge china to reconsider approach on some of the issues that hold bilateral ties back from realising full potential' & 'Reiterated importance of clarification on line of actual control'. 

Many have applauded the comments with Former External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha lauding Modi: 'Hope China realises it is dealing with a strong Indian & Prime Minister'. The visit has been quite fruitful, but PM Modi has stirred the Hornet's nest having promised issuing e-visas to the Chinese tourists, which is sure to draw flax from the opposition & give the security agencies heart palpitations. Some see this as a move to help the ongoing issue of Stapled Visas, but whether China will respond to this friendly gesture is yet to be seen. Although the two Asian giants have sought to talk through the issues amicably, there hasn't been any formal promise from China on the issuing of visas to people residing in PoK as well as Arunachal Pradesh

Even as security agencies scramble, the Indian Incorporate has a lot to celebrate. Over a period of two days the PM has been able to ink a lot of contracts between the two nations, with over 30 billion dollars garnered in way of foreign investment coming into the country. This seems to have bought cheer and is being lauded by most, but the troubles of trade deficit looms large over the Modi government. Also, never before has one heard a PM talk about the the finance strategy of a govt in such detail... Wonder if it was to untangle some of the chaos surrounding the bills pending in Parliament. The rush to assure investments seems both reassuring as well as a little desperate. But when the Prime Minister leaves for Mongolia, he will be leaving behind a pink sunset, full of promises...

The selfie taken by PM with Chinese Premier already has over a million likes on FB with Mark Zuckerberg liking it himself, has gone viral on the social media, and is being called 'World's mightiest Selfie' by Forbes. An impressive image it is, two powerful men smiling into the lens, men whose moves are being watched by the world but also those who men whose actions can impact the course of the world. So ponder this...is it one which to pull the wool over the world's eyes or one which will calm the troubled waters?