ACCRA: They are the fiercest economic rivals as well as neighbours that infrequently spar over international borders. But the 'Hindi-Chini bhai bhai' bonding is hard to miss at the climate change talks in Accra.

Their close coordination, bilateral understanding and strategic moves have stumped the rich countries. The industrialized countries, such as the EU members and Japan, have over the past couple of days run a shrill campaign to draw a wedge through the powerful G77 countries and China grouping and put the emerging economic power houses — India, China, Brazil and South Africa — on the mat.

But China and India's working in tandem has been a key reason for the good old divide and rule policy of the rich nations' cabal coming apart.

Both the countries have taken an aggressive stand against what they think is the industrialized countries' attempt to change the very character of the UNFCC — the international compact on climate change — which at present requires only the rich countries to cut their greenhouse gas emissions against fixed targets.

The rich countries want the four economic power houses to take commitments even though the four bear little historic burden for the crisis the world faces.

"All the countries to the UNFCC decided that there would be two groups of countries — the culprits and the others who are suffering because of historical and accumulating emissions of industrialized countries," Yu Qingtai, climate change ambassador of China, told TOI.