“Making the dragon and elephant dance is the only right choice,” says China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi as he extends a friendly hand to India to bolster the democratisation of global relations while stren – gthening the Global South. Wang’s words echo former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s famous quote, “Friends can be changed, but not neighbours”.

India and China share a border of over 3,000 kilometres, a cultural and spiritual history of over 2,000 years, and urgent common challenges ~ making their partnership not just strategic but essential. One of the most profound links is Buddhism, which originated in India in the 5th century BC and spread to China by 67 BC. Indian scholars such as Kumarajiva and Bodhidharma played significant roles in shaping Chinese Buddhist traditions, while Chinese travellers like Xuanzang and Faxian visited India, documenting their experiences and facilitating deeper understanding between the two nations. The Southern Silk Road, which connected Pataliputra (modern Patna) to Xi’an by the 2nd century BC, facilitated flows of goods, ideas and diplomacy, thus creating prosperity. Kanishka, the Kushan emperor (127–150 AD), significantly influenced China through Silk Road exchanges. A key patron of Buddhism, his Fourth Buddhist Council promoted Mahayana teachings, which spread to Chi – na via missionaries and translated texts.

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Trade networks under his rule connected China to Central Asia. Following their respective independence in the mid-20th century ~ India in 1947 and China in 1949 ~ both countries embarked on paths of nation building and economic reforms. Today, China and India face similar concerns, amplified by their status as the world’s most populous nations ~ India at 1.44 billion and China at 1.41 billion (2023 estimates). These challenges demand collaboration over competition. Managing such vast demographics strains resources, infrastructure and governance.

Creating Employment is a big challenge that needs innovative policies. Joint ventures in manufacturing, technology and green energy could generate jobs. Both nations struggle with gender imbalances rooted in deep seated cultural preferences for sons. India’s sex ratio at birth is 933 girls per 1,000 boys (2024), while China’s is 923 females per 1,000 boys (2023). In India, dowry pressures and inheritance norms drive families to favour sons, often leading to sex-selective abortions ~ despite the law banning such practices.

China’s former one-child policy (1979–2015) inadvertently intensified son preference, as families prioritised male heirs. This resulted in millions of “missing” girls in both countries, despite campaigns like India’s Beti Bachao Beti Padhao and China’s Care for Girls. Both na – tions need to work together on this challenge to achieve gender equality. India’s urban population is 35 per cent (rising to 50 per cent by 2050), while China’s is 64 per cent (World Bank, 2023), straining housing, sanitation, and transport. Joint urban planning initiatives, such as smart city tech exchanges, could ease these growing pains. Both countries face severe air pollution (e.g., Delhi’s AQI often exceeds 300; Beijing’s PM2.5 levels hit 137 in 2023) and water scarcity.

Collaborative renewable energy projects could provide a solution. China has experienced significant viral disease outbreaks like SARS and the recent pandemic, with its dense cities amplifying transmission risks. On the other hand, India battles a rising tide of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), specifically cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, which account for over 30 per cent of all deaths. Genetic factors may also play a role in these health challenges ~ viral susceptibility in China and NCD prevalence in India ~ potentially linked to both nations’ practices of marrying within caste or clan groups.

A combined effort in genetic and medical research could offer innovative solutions. A proposed Sino-Indian Genomic Initiative could merge China’s biobanks (China Kadoorie Biobank) with India’s Genome Project to map disease pathways. The combined dataset would dwarf others like UK Biobank in scale and diversity, addressing health disparities ignored by Western-centric research. Imagine identifying a gene variant in Indian populations that increases diabetes risk. By cross-referencing China’s data, researchers might find that the same variant behaves differently in East Asians due to lifestyle or environmental factors.

This could lead to tailored prevention strategies for both nations. If successful, it could map diseases like diabetes (over 7 crore cases in India) or viral risks (like SARS), reducing the global disease burden costs by billions of dollars and fast-tracking Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets for Good Health by five to 10 years. Further, both nations boast rich traditional medicine systems ~ India’s Ayurveda and China’s Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) ~ rooted in centuries of holistic practice.

Joint research on herbal remedies (e.g., turmeric vs. ginseng) can help develop affordable treatments to address health burdens. India’s I.T. industry, a $200 billion powerhouse (NASSCOM, 2023), excels in software services and outsourcing, while China dominates hardware manufacturing and AI development. Collaboration in the I.T. sector ~ including joint R&D hubs and tech parks could create high skill jobs and employ millions. China and India should build on their historical fraternity and shared challenges. Joint initiatives ~ gender equity programmes to combat son preference, health collaborations to address health issues overlooked by the West and I.T. partnerships to employ youth ~ could yield mutual benefits. As Wang Yi said, “If we work together, the strengthening of the Global South will have a brighter future.”

The elephant and dragon, once partners in peace along the Silk Road under legends like Kanishka, must dance again ~ tackling cultural, environmental and health challenges together ~ not just for their own sake, but for a balanced, peaceful world. Lake Ma n asarovar, believed to cleanse sins and bestow enlightenment, reopening to Indians this year after a gap of five years, appears to be an auspicious beginning in this direction.

(The writer is a transparency and equality advocate and author. The opinions are personal)