China, in veiled manner, has warned India of serious ‘economic repercussions’ if the latter leans towards the US in case of a Cold War between the world’s two major economies. In an article titled Advisable for India not to engage in US-China confrontation, in Global Times, the official media of Beijing, it said: “If in a new Cold War, India leans toward the US or becomes a US pawn attacking China, the economic and trade ties between the two Asian neighbors will suffer a devastating blow. And it would be too much for the Indian economy to take such a hit at the current stage.” The official media said “India needs to be careful about being involved in the US-China rivalry.”
Asking India to be careful not to include the US factor in its handling of any problem in its relations with China, the Global Times stated: “The same is true of the recent China-India border tension, and the offer of US mediation is unnecessary and the last thing both sides could use. China and India have the ability to resolve their problems, and there is no need for any third-party intervention.”
Taking note of the nationalist sentiment on the rise in India, it said: “…there have been some voices calling for the Indian government to join the new Cold War and exploit its position for more gains. Such irrational voices are nothing but misleading, which should not represent the mainstream voices and sway the Indian government’s stance.” It added that by engaging in a US-China conflict over any topic, India will have more to lose than gain. This is why “the Modi government needs to face the new geopolitical development objectively and rationally”, it said.
Reiterating its position once again, the Global Times said, “Indian economy cannot afford any more shocks”, as the Covid pandemic has wreaked a havoc on its economy and it is staring at a recession.
Advising India to view India-China relations with a rational mind, it said: “China’s tone of maintaining a cooperative relationship with India hasn’t changed, so they are still willing to offer support to India’s lockdown lifting by strengthening bilateral cooperation to help its economic recovery and deepening bilateral trade ties during the process. China doesn’t want to see a situation where politics leads to economic repercussions, so the Indian government is advised to always view the India-China relations with rational minds instead of being lured by domestic nationalist sentiment.”
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