An article in a prominent state-run Chinese media outlet, Global Times, made a rare admission by praising India and asserting that the nation has become more strategically confident and proactive in creating and developing a “Bharat narrative”.
The article, published on Tuesday (Jan 2), highlights India’s accomplishments in the past few years under Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government. It is contrary to what Chinese media usually runs – propaganda and fake narratives against India.
The article, titled, “What I feel about the ‘Bharat narrative’ in India”, is penned by Zhang Jiadong, who is the director of the Center for South Asian Studies at Fudan University, Shanghai.
The article chalks out India’s stunning economic growth, its attitude towards international relations (including China), urban governance, and more.
“For example, when discussing the trade imbalance between China and India, Indian representatives earlier used to primarily focus on China’s measures to reduce the trade imbalance. But now they are placing more emphasis on India’s export potential,” Zhang said in the article.
“In the political and cultural spheres, India has moved from emphasising its democratic consensus with the West to highlighting the ‘Indian feature’ of democratic politics. Currently, there is even more emphasis on the Indian origins of democratic politics,” he added.
The author wrote in the widely circulated article that the shift reflects India’s ambition to escape its historical colonial shadow and act as a “world mentor”, both politically and culturally.
The author hailed India’s foreign policy strategy under PM Modi as he emphasised upon the country’s multi-alignment approach and strengthening ties with major global powers, including the United States, and Japan.
He pointed out India’s strong ties with the mention of New Delhi’s stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict as PM Modi has already said that this is “not the era of war”.
‘India has become a new geopolitical factor that many countries need to consider’
“Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed power, he has advocated for a multi-alignment strategy, promoting India’s relations with the US, Japan, Russia and other countries and regional organisations,” Zhang said in the article.
“India has always considered itself a world power. However, it has only been less than 10 years since India shifted from multi-balancing to multi-alignment, and now it is rapidly transforming toward a strategy of becoming a pole in the multipolar world. The speed of such changes is rarely seen in the history of international relations,” he said.
“It appears that a transformed, stronger, and more assertive India has become a new geopolitical factor that many countries need to consider,” the article added.
(With inputs from agencies)
