The emerging Beijing-Islamabad strategic alliance is part of a crosscutting web of relationships along the northern coast of the Arabian Sea, whose complexity is enhanced by Chinese inroads into the Pakistani economy.
Beijing hopes to penetrate the Southasian market, while at the same time use the opening to keep quiet its restive outlying provinces.
Despite plenty of false starts, it finally happened: the trading pass of Nathula was reopened after four decades. Congratulations are in order. Let us now have some trade.
Friends, the stranger came
And we didn't exchange the warmth of primordial relationship
Suspicion was all that we gave each other.
— Niranjan Sahay in Hindi, "Meri sadi
Borderland exchanges along the Nepal-TAR frontier.
The increased bonhomie between India and China in recent years has opened up the possibility of building newer avenues of cooperation between the two countries. There are reports that after
Ever present high wind
Sweeps the fog in Blocking all that is dear to the eyes.
There is a lull, the air rests.
The fog remains.
–Gujarati poet Sitanshu Yashchandra
