Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday left for his landmark US visit, China urged India not to join the “US’ selfish game”, and then, in the same breath, claimed that even if New Delhi did so, it is bound to fail!
Top diplomat and former Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said “This geopolitical calculation of the US is doomed to fail because China’s position in the global supply chain cannot be replaced by India or other economies.”
Ahead of PM Modi’s US visit, China’s state-controlled media, unleashing contradictory propaganda, slammed the US for “pushing India and ramping up its efforts to harass China’s economic progress.”
Writing an opinion piece in The Global Times, Wang Yi said the US’s geopolitical calculations drove its efforts to strengthen economic and trade interactions with India, adding that it was “bound to fail.”
Interestingly, in an unusual move, Wang Yi ducked behind a British business daily, buttressing his claims about China and ‘cautioning’ India.
“This is Modi’s sixth visit to the US since taking over as the Prime Minister in 2014 but his first State Visit to the US. As the US seems to ramp up efforts to push India to confront China and harass China’s economic progress, the Financial Times recently warned that Washington’s embrace of Modi carries a price, saying the US’ charm campaign has been noted with dismay by some of India’s elites. They concern that the US attempts to “use India as a bulwark” against China,” the editorial piece read.
“The US’ geopolitical calculations are not difficult to read. As feared by many Indian elites, Washington’s vigorous efforts to strengthen economic and trade cooperation with India are primarily to slow down China’s economic development. However, this geopolitical calculation of the US is doomed to fail, because China’s position in the global supply chain cannot be replaced by India or other economies.”
Despite increased investments in India by American companies, those “such as Apple, are now inseparable from China’s supply chain.”
“In fact, India’s trade with the US cannot replace its trade with China, nor can India replace China in global supply chains,” the piece said.
“If the US and India want to further develop economic and trade cooperation, they should solve the problems between themselves, rather than targeting China.”
Saying that the “US pays lip service to India but seldom delivers”, the editorial piece urged India “to abandon geopolitical calculation, such as considering joining the US’ reckless and selfish game to contain China”, adding that promoting trade and economic cooperation with China “is of great importance for India’s future growth and development.”
Interestingly, this advice to India came after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Foreign Minister Qin Gang, and Wang Yi himself on his five-day trip to Beijing. This was seen as an attempt by the US to ease the tensions with China.