Headlines
Modi should not visit disputed border region: China daily
Beijing, May 12
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
must not visit the disputed border region in pursuit of his own
political interests, a leading English daily of China said on Tuesday.
The daily's advice comes only days ahead of Modi's official visit to
China this week. It describes the Indian leader as pragmatic rather than
a visionary.
“Due to historical feud and mutual mistrust that
stems from geopolitics, the two sides (India and China) have never
established real strategic trust,†the Global Times stated in an opinion
piece headlined "Can Modi's visit upgrade Sino-Indian ties?"
The Global Times is known for its sharp views on India.
Calling
for both China and India to not only strengthen mutual political trust,
but also stick to a series of agreed principles and match their
rhetoric with action, it stated: “In light of this, Modi should no
longer visit the disputed border region in pursuit of his own political
interests, nor should he deliver any remarks that infringe on the
consensus on bilateral ties."
"Meanwhile, the Indian government
should completely stop supporting the Dalai Lama, and stop making the
Tibetan issue a stumbling block to the Sino-Indian relationship,†it
said.
According to the article, written by Hu Zhiyong of the
Institute of International Relations at the Shanghai Academy of Social
Sciences, the Indian prime minister has been “playing little tricksâ€
over the border issue “hoping to boost his domestic prestige while
increasing his leverage in negotiations with Chinaâ€.
It said that the ball was now in India's court to boost bilateral relations.
“Fostering
close ties with India, China's largest neighbor in South Asia, is of
great importance to China's perimeter security and stability,†Hu wrote.
It also stated that Modi's diplomatic initiatives across the
world ever since he assumed office showed that he was pragmatic rather
than a visionary.
“Ever since Modi assumed office, he has taken
the initiative to actively develop India's relationships with Japan, the
US, and European countries in no time, in order to promote the
country's poor infrastructure construction and economic development. But
his diplomatic moves last year have proven that he is a pragmatist,
rather than a visionary.â€
The writer also underlined the need for
people-to-people and cultural exchanges for deepening bilateral
relations but said that the Indian elites' “blind arrogance†was not
helping matters.
“Due to the Indian elites' blind arrogance and
confidence in their democracy, and the inferiority of its ordinary
people, very few Indians are able to treat Sino-Indian relations
accurately, objectively and rationally. Worse, some Indian media have
been irresponsibly exaggerating the conflicts between the two sides,
adding fuel to the hostility among the public.â€
Dwelling on
bilateral trade, the article said that “despite the fact that China has
already become India's largest trading partner, India's trade deficit
with China keeps rising sharplyâ€.
“New Delhi is reluctant to
admit the widening trade gap is its own fault, nor is it willing to
examine its own economic structure and the quality of its exports to
China. Instead, it has been repeatedly accusing or directing its anger
at China,†Hu wrote.
“The Indian government should loosen up on
the limits of cross-border trade with China, reduce the trade deficit,
improve the efficiency of government administrations, and relax the visa
restrictions, in order to attract more Chinese companies to invest in
India.â€
Calling for deepening of bilateral relations through
concerted efforts by politicians from both sides, it said: “Modi should
seize the chance of his China visit to enhance bilateral cooperation.â€