China, India may no longer need middle-man: India official

Singapore

BILATERAL ties between India and China have reached a stage where Singapore - or any other country - may not be called upon to play the role of an "honest broker". Analysts have in the past suggested that Singapore could play a strategic role in bringing the two Asian giants together, particularly in enhancing economic and business ties.

However, the evolution of the Sino-Indian relationship means that they may no longer need a middle-man, said Indian Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor. "India and China have now so many levels of relations that it doesn't need a broker," the former minister of state for external affairs and human resource development, told The Business Times yesterday.