As a country of about 1.4 billion and a polity not in league with the major democracies of the world, China has problems of its own. Despite all the baggage that frequently draws headlines not always for the right reasons, the Chinese juggernaut keeps rolling in all its grandiosity. China today makes most of the goods produced in the world. Why China only makes, but doesn’t create has often been asked. And the question hardly rings a bell among the Chinese, because despite all the brouhaha over rights and liberties or the lack thereof created by the West, the nation has been unforgiving to itself in the quest to create more capital. Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the tiny Indian Ocean atoll nation of Maldives. The country with a frail democracy and a fledgling economy that is reliant on tourism, is famous for honeymooners. A third of the one million tourists that visited the country last year were Chinese and by stretching a hand of friendship to Male, Beijing is looking forward to make a mark in India’s sphere of influence.
China is going to invest in making a kilometre-long bridge linking the capital Male and the airport island of Hullule. There are few regions in the world where Chinese investment is not prominent. From Georgia in the North Caucasus to Sudan in Africa to Chile in South America, Chinese business interests have spread phenomenally fast. Cash-rich Chinese have virtually ‘invaded’ the United States, making China’s one-time capitalist foe their homeland. That China Daily, the leading newspaper in the country, comes out with US editions, speaks about the influence the Chinese diaspora exercises in the country. Xi’s South Asia trip takes him to Sri Lanka today before he starts the most important phase of his tour — a visit to India. The vastly expanding and giant economy of China’s southern neighbour has got a right-leaning politician as its head. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, considered a business-friendly and pragmatic leader, is likely to court China for commercial tie-ups.
India yesterday announced measures to ease environmental rules near the border with China so that it could build infrastructure in the underdeveloped state of Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims as its own. However, if pragmatism rules the federal government’s plans to open up its giant railway system to Chinese investment will prevail. The two countries are expected to sign a pact that will open the way for Chinese participation in new rail tracks, automated signalling for faster trains and modern stations that India’s British-built rail system desperately needs.
China’s fast and furious investment footprint has spread irrespective of the nature of its political ties with so many regions of the world. This speaks volumes about its prowess and business-friendly investment climate.
