China and India could 'rule the waves' Relations deteriorated in 2009 when China attacked Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh's visit to India's Arunachal Pradesh state, where he was campaigning for his Congress Party in local elections, as "provocative and dangerous." China claims Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang district as part of 'southern Tibet', a dispute that dates back to British colonial rule. Senior Chinese officials told their Indian counterparts these disputes were a "headache" left by British rule and that their settlement could unlock the great trade potential between the two countries. The two countries should meet halfway and address the boundary issue. This issue resulted in two sides not realising the potential in the bilateral ties. We should meet each other halfway," Li Junru, a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, told journalists. His comments coincided with an article in China's state-owned Global Times, under the heading 'China and India can rule waves together,' which called on the regional powers to put aside their maritime rivalry with a focus on their common interests. China and India also have many common interests, such as the security of international shipping lanes, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, marine search and rescue, peacekeeping, and oceanic environmental protection. There is enough space for China and India to develop alongside each other," the article said. The apparent thaw in Beijing's approach to India comes as the two countries seek to increase their bilateral trade from $75 billion to more than $100 billion and amid talks of major Chinese investment in developing India's lumbering railway network. China wants to help India develop new high-speed rail links between in its major cities and new rail freight corridors. Strategic analyst Mohan Guruswamy of the New Delhi-based Centre for Policy Alternatives, said Beijing's friendlier demeanour reflected its concerns at India's new strategic alliance with the United States and its increasing alignment with Japan and Association of South East Asian countries. They are unnerved by this and trying to appeal to India. The problem is there is no consensus in India on how to strike an agreement on the border," he said.