Beijing and New Delhi to set up a direct hotline
A similar line existed in during the Cold War between Moscow and Washington to help prevent or defuse crises.
The two Asian giants still have outstanding issues and this despite growing trade and economic ties.
They have not yet settled their border dispute which flared up in open warfare in 1962. and neither side accepts the border demarcation.
Beijing has also not been very pleased with New Delhi’s recent decision to deploy additional troops and fighter jets on the disputed border.
The Global Times, a tabloid that is part of the People's Daily group, last Friday published a survey that found 74 per cent of respondents were against maintaining friendly relations with India. It said 90 per cent viewed that country as a threat to China’s national security and 65 per cent believed that New Delhi's decision to deploy additional forces on the disputed border was a strain on bilateral ties, and could prove more harmful to India than China.
However, C.V. Ranganathan, India's ambassador to China from 1987 to 1991, said there are concerns about the reliability of the survey, because the paper failed to indicate the size of the sampled group or provide any urban-rural breakdown.
Some experts note that the People’s Daily is the Chinese Communist Party’s official mouthpiece. However accurate (or inaccurate) survey results might be, they are still a good indication of what party leaders think. Communist leaders thus seem to confirming their anti-Indian stance.
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