Defenceindia Bureau Report
“India jitters at the sight of China gaining prestige in Asia, in particular, in South Asia and Southeast Asia, and takes China’s ever-growing regional influence in recent years as a strategic encirclement to target and contain India. It sounds nothing more than a loud jealousy, for the simple reason that China has done what India could not, especially when India perceives that China’s influence has well reached to its doorsteps and created tremendous impact on those who should have banked on India as imagined,” says Li Hongmei, a Chinese columnist known for her particularly nationalistic view as reported by the Chandigarh based Tribune newspaper. This posture is somewhat similar to that taken by a number of Communist Party-run papers in recent weeks, except that it has been carried by a government news agency, and posted prominently on the front page of its website.
It may well be a case of “Pot calling the Kettle Black”. China is quite piqued by Indian forays with Vietnam in the South China Sea. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has made clear to the Chinese Premier that this is purely a commercial venture. India needs to ensure that it does not get brow beaten by China in what is the beginning of a new diplomatic standoff between the two countries designed to seek a predominant place in regional affairs.