China has all along been testing the limits of India’s tolerance and restraint and has once again given the Indian foreign ministry much home work for the next few months.

Kan’s statement about sending the SDF to the Korean peninsula to rescue Japanese citizens and people of Japanese origin in the event of an emergency has raised the spectre of a possible revival of Japanese militarism.

Japan’s adoption of a new defence Guidelines to secure its southern “outlaying islands” closer to China suggests major shift in Japan’s Cold War security policy.

Primer Wen’s visit should be devoted to enhance mutual trust and confidence but this should not be done by brushing longstanding problems under the carpet.

An initiative focusing on collaboration and innovation (COIN) in energy, health, infrastructure, and knowledge-intensive industries has potential to overcome emerging fissures and enhance India-China economic relations.

Wen Jiabao’s visit provides ground to bring better clarity on the Chinese stance over a range of critical issues to India, and to ask whether the sentiments expressed in 2005 were merely rhetorical.

Because of America’s refusal to engage North Korea, by default the reclusive nation dictates the rules of engagement in its favour.