A Chinese puzzle at the Olympics
by Grasshopper
When the Chinese government doesn't invite the President and Prime Minister of India to Beijing Olympics, but rolls out the red carpet for Congress Party chief and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and her entire family, it's making a statement. What it is or what provoked it can only be speculated on. It's a snub intentionally delivered, the kind the Chinese specialize in.

What caused it? Was it the sloppy security that led to the Tibet invasion of Chinese embassy when the Olympic flag arrived in India? Perhaps it is a continuation of their policy of keeping India off balance - like talking friendship while claiming the whole of Arunachal and more. It's perhaps the Chinese way of demonstrating how they view India - a poor relation who doesn't get invited to the big feasts.

Then there is Soniaji and her family's trip to Beijing. This is a statement within a statement. Is Beijing anointing Soniaji as the lender they would like to deal with? Apparently Beijing hasn't written off the Congress. It would be amusing to think that the Chinese are partly influenced by the perception that she is politically naïve and ignorant, listen only to knaves and hence malleable. But Prime Minister Singh, short on rhetoric, is long on memory. He doesn't forget deliberate insults as Com Prakash Karat found out. The good comrade and the Left have been marginalized after foolishly trying to topple the government over the nuclear deal. It also made Soniaji stranger than before and the Chinese while snubbing India are separating Soniaji from the government of India. Com Karat should remember the Chinese saying "He who eats soup with chopsticks shall go hungry".

Speculation can't sort out the snub China has delivered to India. Nevertheless life will go on as will the border talks and Indo-China trade. China will continue its posture that India is its semi-vassal state. According to a politically incorrect saying "The Chinese are bad when they lose; they're worse when they win."

Wait for the post-Olympics China in action.
(grasshopper@columnist.com)