Historical relations between India and China have been ambivalent at best. Plagued by border conflicts and economic competition, countries have long harbored feelings of animosity toward each other. However, both sides have recently made concerted efforts to improve relations, recognizing that cooperation offers economic and political benefits. In May, Indian and Chinese officials issued a joint statement affirming their determination to further improve relations through increased economic and cultural exchanges (Bagri). However, India also called on China to lower its non-tariff barriers to enable India reduce its growing trade deficit with China (Dasgupta). Although China and India have many conflicting interests, the interests they share are those that can facilitate mutually beneficial cooperation (Morrow Principle #1). How countries perceive each other is also key to negotiating a deal, and ultimately how they perceive each other will determine whether cooperation is feasible or not (Principle #4 Tomorrow). China and India clearly have interests in the conflict. On the one hand, the two countries would like to access a disputed territory, located in the Himalayan mountains, which both countries claim to belong to them by right. Additionally, the states have conflicting ideologies (democracy vs. communism) that both would like to promote and which also differ in that each would like to gain as much as possible from trade, regardless of the harm it might cause to the other state . Finally, states, and especially their leaders, have political incentives to protect domestic industries and workers, because while this may hinder maximum possible efficiency...... middle of paper ...... 09. Internet. November 18, 2013. .Mishra, Pankaj. “When the best and brightest leave India and China.” Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg, October 20, 2013. Web. November 17, 2013. .Morrow, James D. Understanding World Politics. 3rd ed. Flight. 1. Upper Saddle River: Pearson, 2013. Print. Mumbai. “Friend, Enemy, Rival, Investor.” The economist. The Economist, June 30, 2012. Web. November 17, 2013. .Sedghi, Ami. "India's Trade: Complete List of Exports, Imports and Partner Countries." The Guardian.The Guardian, February 22, 2013. Web. November 17. 2013. .