Ties between China and India continue to strengthen. While some worry about a "new axis" between Beijing and Delhi, it is only natural that two of the world's largest countries -- neighbors, no less -- have strong and cooperative relations. Asia needs them to have a positive, forward-looking partnership. The real question is whether the two governments can move beyond their tendency to see the other as a rival. Competition between them must be contained and must not spiral into conflict.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao pushed the China-India relationship forward during his four-day visit to India this week. Calling India and China "brothers," Mr. Wen promised to make the two countries partners rather than rivals.
As a critical first step in that process, Mr. Wen and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh agreed on "guiding principles" to resolve a border dispute that brought the two countries to war in 1962. The deal calls on each to respect settled populations and the other country's security concerns. In other words, the principles ratify the status quo.