The bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao in Thailand on October 24 on the sidelines of the India-ASEAN and East Asia Summit interactions was an extraordinary event. Coming in the wake of a series of Chinese actions inimical to bilateral relations, the Chinese Prime Minister had a purpose in seeking this dialogue: to gauge India’s tolerance threshold. Wen was curious to understand India’s self-appreciation since its economic progress and improved ties with Washington. If handled well, there was a double advantage awaiting New Delhi; for once, it could have conveyed India’s political firmness to China, and the message would have gone to the entire Asian leadership assembled in Thailand that India is resolute and positive and desires an equal partnership with China. (In reversed roles, if India ever had the temerity for such impertinences, the Chinese leadership would have refused to meet the India Prime Minister by saying that ‘whoever ties the knot should untie it’, a saying which is the crux of bilateral relations for Beijing).

What did India do instead? The ministry of external affairs (MEA) mishandled the summit meeting and ended up toeing Beijing’s line. Generalities were exchanged between the two Prime Ministers with India reiterating the need ‘that neither side should let the differences act as an impediment to the growth of functional cooperation between the two countries.’ The media accompanying the Prime Minister was officially informed that increased Chinese border guard’s intrusions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), Beijing’s heightened decibels over Arunachal Pradesh, China’s policy shift on Kashmir and the Dalai Lama, and the Brahmaputra water problems did not figure in bilateral talks. However, on condition of anonymity, Indian officials whispered to the journalists (for domestic consumption) that Manmohan Singh did discuss all outstanding issues with Wen Jiabao. It later transpired that this was only partially correct.