Let me begin tautologically.

Foreign Policy is what you do. Diplomacy is how you do it. Diplomacy provides hope. Not Nirvana.

Even modest progress is deserving of respect.

Since summer this year we are being smothered by the embarrassment of high level diplomatic goodies. Summitry like seminars is now a growth industry. Momentous decisions are taken by men and women in great hurry. When Prime Minister Wen Jiao was sitting for lunch he was already thinking of his programme in Islamabad.

advertisement

The peripatetic Indian Prime Minister will be applying his organised mind to another disorganised visit of the President of India. I have been watching Sino-Indian relations at close quarters since 1956. I first met the pleasant Premier Wen over five years ago in Dalian. I showed him a photograph taken in September 1957 in Chairman Mao's house on the occasion of the visit of Dr. Radhakrishnan.

Powers

The photograph had some historical value. Next to Radhakrishnan and Mao are standing the number two, three and four of the Chinese hierarchy -

πŸ“°

Continue Reading on India Today

This preview shows approximately 15% of the article. Read the full story on the publisher's website to support quality journalism.

Read Full Article β†’