Chinese Perspectives

The view from the other side. There can be nothing more “other side” than China, so I was happy to see there are many Indian blogs based on reading up Chinese publications (in English, of course).

 

How, for example, do the Chinese view the Indo-Canadian spat? Amit Kumar went over the articles in the Chinese media on it, and the view is interesting, to say the least. Just as we view more and more things with China-in-the-equation, China views most things with America-in-the-equation. Thus, the fact that the US did nothing to pressurize India wrt Canada’s allegations is taken as a clear sign in China that India is super-critical from America’s Asia strategy, that America will look the other way to Indian actions (this was written before the US indictment of an Indian hand in a plot to kill a Khalistani leader in the US). Further, China feels India knows how important it is to America in Asia, and is hence increasingly emboldened to do whatever it likes, be it in Canada or in its disputes with China.

 

For the Chinese, the fact that the US had abandoned Canada, a long term ally, for India, the critical ally of the future, is yet another example of how America is – a fair-weather friend, one who abandons policies and its so-called principles when the world changes, an opportunist. While all of the above is true for every country, American hypocrisy always evokes more anger simply because America talks so much - of values, rules, and friendships.

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Take the Indo-Nepal relationship and disputes. Because of Nepal’s geography, it has always been dependent on India “for economic and external communication, including the transit of essential goods such as food, medicine, and fuel through India”. Therefore, feel the Chinese:

“For a long time, India has adopted a paternalistic approach in its policies toward Nepal. While providing some support and assistance, India often resorts to rude and unilateral actions toward Nepal.”

And:

“India has repeatedly used the agreement on transit through Nepal as a coercive diplomatic tool, threatening and implementing blockades against Nepal to force the Nepali authorities to adopt domestic and foreign policies that align with India's wishes.”

 

The Chinese feel that no matter how much China may help Nepal, with money and infrastructure projects, the Himalayas will always mean that “Nepal cannot completely sever ties with India”.

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All countries spy on each other. In September, two UK parliamentary researchers were arrested for spying for China. Rishi Sunak’s comments on the topic included the Western line for any spying these days – it is a “threat to our open and democratic way of life”. Not surprisingly, the Chinese denied the accusation. What amused me was this counter-point:

 “UK itself was once the world’s largest empire and that it built its so-called ‘open and democratic way of life’ on plunder and exploitation of other developing countries and thus has a mark of colonialism all over it.”

 

In a sarcastic tone, one newspaper asked and answered:

“How exactly does China threaten Britain’s ‘open and democratic way of life?… Is it through China’s supply of plenty of high-quality and low-priced products to Britain, or through the considerable income generation and jobs it brings to the UK in the fields of tourism, education, clean energy?”

 

I will end on an amusing note, based on posts on Chinese social media:

“On social media, several Chinese netizens opined that Beijing is being unnecessarily targeted while it is India that has infiltrated the British PMO.”