Prospects for Sino-Indian Trans-border Economic Linkages

Abstract

The political thrust given to integrating southwestern China with the extended regional eco-nomy marks the latest shift in the country's regional development policy. China's develop-mental priorities have swung from a focus on inland development during the Mao years to Deng's coast-led strategy and most recently back again to the inland provinces under the Western development programme. Noteworthy in this context are the imperatives driving China's sub-regional initiatives in the region, particularly the Kunming Initiative, which seeks to strengthen regional economic cooperation between the contiguous regions of India's Northeast, China's Southwest, Myanmar and Bangladesh. There is clearly a strong case for fully exploring potential for trans-border linkages in trade, tourism and transport within this quadrant. Further, China's southern thrust coincides with India's own domestic impera-tive of strengthening the external orientation of the Northeast. These developments present opportunities as also challenges to India while it is willing to engage China bilaterally but not sub-regionally.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

ADB, The 2020 Project: Policy Support in the People's Republic of China, Final Report and Policy Directions, ADB: 2003.

Bhuthalingam, Ravi. 2003. “Around the Bend: Creating Prosperity through Tourism in the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Region” , Country Paper on Tourism presented at the Fourth Meeting of the BCIM Forum, Yangon, Myanmar, 19–21 March.

Borrus, Michael. 1994. “MNC Production Networks and East Asian Integration: A Research Note”, unpublished paper, The Berkeley Roundtable on the International Economy, University of California, Berkeley 1994 cited in Peter Katzenstein, Regionalism in Comparative Perspective, ARENA Working Paper No. 1 (University of Oslo, January 1996) accessed at http://www. arena.uio.no/publications

Cannon, Terry and Alan Jenkins (eds). 1990. The Geography of Contemporary China: The Impact of Deng Xiaoping's Decade. London: Routledge .

Chaudhuri, Kalyan. 2003. “Routes of Promise”, Frontline ( Chennai ), 14 July, pp. 5–18.

Che, Zhimin. 1998. “Proposition on Formation of Sub-Regional Cooperation Zone of China, India, Myanmar and Bangladesh”, Mimeo , August.

China Daily.13 June 2002.

China, Ministry of Commerce, “Trade Between Yunnan Province and India Broke Through US$100 Million for the First Time”. http://nz2.mofcom.gov.cn/aarticle/chinanews/200412/20041200010033.html

He, Shengda. 2000. “Promotion of Regional Economic Cooperation among China, India, Myanmar and Bangladesh” , Paper presented at Second Conference on Regional Cooperation among Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar, 4–7 December. New Delhi.

10.

Hurrell, Andrew. 1995. “Explaining the Resurgence of Regionalism in World Politics” , Review of International Studies, vol. 21, no. 4.

11.

Indian Institute of Foreign Trade. 1995. Research Reports, Export Opportunities in Myanmar and Study on Promotion of Border trade between India and Myanmar. New Delhi.

12.

Kao, John. 1993. “The Worldwide Web of Chinese Business” , Harvard Business Review, vol. 71, no. 2 (March–April), pp. 24–36 .

13.

Katzenstein, Peter. 1996. “Regionalism in Comparative Perspective” , ARENA Working Paper No. 1 (University of Oslo) accessed at http://www.arena.uio.no/publications

14.

Kurian, Nimmi. 2002. “Redefining Security, Redefining Cooperation” , Paper presented at the Third International Conference on BCIM. Dhaka, Bangladesh, 6–7 February.

15.

Kurian, Nimmi. 2004. “Takes Two to Solve a Water Crisis” , Indian Express, 17 August.

16.

Kurian, Nimmi. 2005. “Eastward Bound; Reviving India's Asian Ties and Implications for China”, in James K. Chin and Isabelle St-Mézard (eds), China and India: Political and Strategic Perspectives. Hong Kong: Centre of Asian Studies .

17.

Lu, Yun. 1989. “Expediting Development in Minority Areas” , Beijing Review, 27 March–2 April.

18.

Pannier, Bruce and Edige Magauin. 1999. “China Discusses Future of Irtysh River” , Asia Times, 5 June.

19.

Prabhakara, M.S. 2004. “Is North-East India Landlocked?” , Economic and Political Weekly, vol. 39, no. 42, 16 October, pp. 4,606–08 .

20.

Samanta, Pranab Dhal. 2004. “Myanmar Begins Crackdown, Destroys N-E Insurgent Camps” , The Indian Express, 29 November.

21.

Samanta, Pranab Dhal. 2005. “New Delhi Works on a Train to Bhutan, the First One in the Mountain State” , Indian Express, 23 January.

22.

Sen, Sudhi Ranjan. 2005. “Ministry at Work: Gives its Nod to Reopen Road to Burma , Indian Express, dated 3 March.

23.

Thant, Myo, Min Tang and Hisosh Kakazu (eds). 1994. Growth Triangles in Asia: A New Regional Economic Cooperation. Oxford: OUP .

24.

Verghese, B.G. 2001. Reorienting India: The New Geopolitics of Asia. New Delhi, Konark .

25.

Womack, Brantly and Zhao Guangzhi . 1994. “The Many Worlds of China's Provinces: Foreign Trade and Diversification”, in David S.G. Goodman and Gerald Segal (eds), China Decon-structs: Politics, Trade and Regionalism. London: Routledge .

26.

Zhong, Yan. 2000. “Tapping China's Reserve Strength in the Western Regions” , Beijing Review.