Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via REUTERS
India is “indeed a major power”, and rapid changes in internal and external strategies pose challenges to both itself and the international community, said China’s leading state-run newspaper Global Times, as it hailed the country’s strides in economic, social governance and foreign policy under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“It appears that a transformed, stronger, and more assertive India has become a new geopolitical factor that many countries need to consider,” said Zhang Jiadong, the director of the Centre for South Asian Studies at Fudan University, in an opinion piece in Global Times.
India rapidly transforming
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The article on Global Times said, “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,” the .
India’s domestic & foreign situation changed tremendously
Jiadong, who recently visited India twice, said India’s domestic and foreign situation have changed tremendously.
“India has made great achievements in economic development and social governance. Its economy has gained momentum and is on track to becoming one of the fastest-growing major economies,” said Jiadong.
The article in the Communist nation-run newspaper also acknowledge India has made progress in urban governance. ‘
“On the one hand, India has made great achievements in economic development and social governance. Its economy has gained momentum and is on track to becoming one of the fastest-growing major economies,” the article further read.
Shift in attitude towards China
The article further said the attitude of Indian representatives towards Chinese scholars have been more relaxed and moderate. “… When discussing the ‘trade imbalance’ between India and China, India is placing more emphasis on its export potential, actively seeking to reduce the trade deficit with China by taking the initiative and increasing Chinese imports from India.”
India developing a ‘Bharat narrative’
The Global Times article on India further said “With its rapid economic and social development, India has become more strategically confident and more proactive in creating and developing a ‘Bharat narrative’.”
China lauds India’s foreign policy
Praising India’s foreign policy under PM Modi, the Global Times article said, “In the diplomatic sphere, India has rapidly shifted toward a great power strategy. 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.”
“India’s strategic thinking in foreign policy has undergone another change and is clearly moving toward a great power strategy. Regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict, India has distanced itself from the West and aligned itself more closely to the developing world,” it further said.
