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Former Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran on Wednesday rendered a broad sweep analysis on 'China in the 21st Century: What India Needs to Know About China's World View', saying one has to only look at how modern, digital culture has pervaded Chinese society, in particular, its youth, to be cautious in making judgments about the country's view of itself. While delivering the second edition of Annual Krishnaswamy Subrahmanyam Memorial Lecture in New Delhi , Saran offered some ideas on a subject that K. Subrahmanyam - India 's greatest strategic thinkers - was convinced, would remain a major preoccupation for India in the decades to come, the challenge of an ascendant China . Rendering a broad sweep analysis Saran said: "Managing the China challenge requires a much deeper understanding of the nature of Chinese civilization, its cultural particularities and the worldview of its people, formed layer upon layer, over five thousand years of unbroken though sometimes tumultuous history. China is undergoing a dramatic transformation and its traditional culture and ways of thinking can no longer be sourced only to persistent templates derived from the past." "Nevertheless, there are certain deeply rooted elements that shape China 's psyche and its world view that are worth careful reflection, including where India fits into that broad consciousness. At various points, I will also try and contrast Chinese and Indian cultural and philosophical traits, so that one is better prepared in adjusting one's own template in judging Chinese behaviour," he said. Underscoring further Saran said, "Deception, let me add, is not unique to Chinese strategic thinking." The former foreign secretary further suggested that to deal with China , one must constantly analyze the domestic and geopolitical environment as perceived by China , which is the prism through which its strategic calculus is shaped and implemented. While delivering the annual lecture to honour the memory of one of Subrahmanyam, Saran highlighted the Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao India visit in April 2005, when India was being courted as an emerging power both by Europe and the U.S. , thereby expanding its own room for manoeuvre. "The Chinese response to this was to project a more positive and amenable posture towards India . This took the shape of concluding the significant Political Parameters and Guiding Principles for seeking a settlement of the border issue; the depiction of Sikkim as part of India territory in Chinese maps and the declaration of a bilateral Strategic and Cooperative Partnership with India ," said Saran. "In private parleys with Indian leaders, their Chinese counterparts conveyed a readiness to accept India 's permanent membership of the Security Council, though it was not willing to state this in black and white in the Joint Statement. Since then, however, as Indian prospects appeared to have diminished and the perceived power gap with China has widened, the Chinese sensitivity to Indian interests has also eroded. It is only in recent months that the tide has turned somewhat, when China has been facing a countervailing backlash to its assertive posture in the South China Sea and the US has declared its intention to "rebalance" its security assets in the Asia-Pacific region," he added. "There has been a setback to Chinese hitherto dominating presence in Myanmar and a steady devaluation of Pakistan 's value to China as a proxy power to contain India . There has been a setback to Chinese hitherto dominating presence in Myanmar and a steady devaluation of Pakistan 's value to China as a proxy power to contain India . At home, there are prospects of slower growth and persistent ethnic unrest in Xinjiang and Tibet . A major leadership transition is underway adding to the overall sense of uncertainly and anxiety." Analysing this, Saran said, "We are, therefore, once again witnessing another renewed though probably temporary phase of greater friendliness towards India , but it's a pity that we are unable to engage in active and imaginative diplomacy to leverage this opportunity to India 's enduring advantage, given the growing incoherence of our national polity." The former foreign secretary briefly spoke on Chinese attitudes specific to India and how China sees itself in relation to India.

Shyam Saran's analysis of China's world view