Chinese Media on India-bashing Spree

By Indrani Bagchi 

NEW DELHI — China's official media are on an India-bashing spree. A spate of recent editorials have blamed India for ratcheting up tensions on the border issue by threatening to move troops to the country's easternmost state of Arunachal Pradesh. In the latest offering in 'People's Daily', writer Li Hongmei said Indians harboured a mix of "awe, vexation, envy and jealousy — in the face of its giant neighbour."

The reason for this, according to Chinese media, is that India remains far behind its eastern neighbour, as China now struts the world stage as a superpower in the making. This is the root of India's jealousy, which is causing it to make provocative moves in Arunachal Pradesh.

The only reason to take these editorials seriously is that these publications, 'Global Times' and 'People's Daily', are official mouthpieces of the Chinese establishment.

The foreign ministry studiously refuses comment but there is a growing feeling that India will have to "manage" its relationship better with a more assertive, nationalistic China. The next meeting of the special representatives on the boundary question has been scheduled for Aug. 708, 2009.

'People's Daily' reserved its scorn for the government. "The Indian government, instead of working in a constructive direction to clear up its people's misunderstandings about China, which has gravely hampered normal development of bilateral relations, has consistently adopted a hostile foreign policy towards China, in an effort to win the support from its hawkish MPs and strengthen its reign in the nation," it said.

An editorial in 'Global Times' on June 12 said, "India can't actually compete with China in a number of areas, like international influence, overall national power and economic scale. India apparently has not yet realised this... India's growing power would have a significant impact on the balance of this equation, which has led India to think that fear and gratitude for its restraint will cause China to defer to it on territorial disputes."

For more, visit 'The Times of India'.