‘May never enter a love marriage but can aim for marriage of convenience’: Ex-Norwegian politician on India-China

India and China might never end up in a “love marriage” but they surely can have a “marriage of convenience” and mutual respect, said Norwegian diplomat, former politician and former Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme, Erik Solheim. He said he considers himself a great friend to both New Delhi and Beijing, and lauded Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to India as well as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to China.

Solheim said, “China and India may never enter into a love marriage. The differences in culture are vast. But India and China can aim for a marriage of convenience - of mutual respect.”

“I consider myself a very good friend of both China and India, two of the greatest civilization states on earth. It has been painful to observe the tense relations between the two. These days there seems to be a once in a lifetime chance for a reset,” said Solheim, adding that the potential gains from their partnership is hard to miss.

“There are many nations in the global south, but no others carry the weight of China or India. The two nations are the core of the BRICS. We need a stronger voice of the global south in global trade, economic and environment issues and peacemaking,” he said. He also added that both China and India together can weather the turmoils of Trump’s tariffs.

Better bilateral relations mean more people to people contact, more trade and more mutual learning, Solheim added. The Chinese want to visit Indian spiritual centres and Indians would benefit from China’s all green sectors, he said.

“Immediate steps we will look for is opening of direct flights between India and China - by Indigo or Air India, by Air China or China Eastern. Easier access to visas will facilitate more tourism and people to people contact. There is time for Indian journalists to go back to China and Chinese to come to India,” said Solheim.

He said there are many obstacles to overcome with many Indians being negative of China, and many Chinese being ignorant of India. Solheim said the recent history of border skirmishes can be put on a backburner for now to mend the relations through the economic route.

Solheim’s assessment comes amid the Chinese minister’s two-day visit to India. Wang Yi said India-China relations are showing a positive trend towards returning to cooperation. He insisted that both the countries should view each other as partners, not rivals. He met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday.

Wang said both the two countries should explore ways to coexist with mutual respect and pursue common development and cooperation. He also criticised the US and said that the world is rapidly changing and that unilateral bullying has become rampant.