Chinese Perceptions of India

financialexpress.com:

By Lt Gen P R Shankar (Ret.)

Relations between India and China are rapidly changing. In the recent past there have been some articles from both China and India which highlight this change. In one strain, Chinese authors opine that India’s economic growth, diplomatic heft and its military prowess makes it a major power. They also add that India’s rise on the global and regional geopolitical stage needs to be taken into consideration by China. Some have even started talking of a ‘Bharat Narrative’. There are other seamier strains which emanate from China. These are of an India which is beset by a colonial hangover, ritualistic revivalism and knotty ethnic/religious fault lines despite its economic rise. This derogatory seam still depicts India as part of the philistines and inferior to China. All notes are not definitely sweet! On the whole, there is no doubt that China is re-evaluating India’s rise and the challenges it poses to it as it declines. In this context, it must be remembered that India sees China as its primary threat. On the other hand, China sees India as a secondary challenge. China has larger goals irrespective of the fact that they are becoming increasingly unattainable. Its perceptions are also coloured accordingly.

While there is no doubt that there is a need to improve relations with our largest and powerful neighbour there is also a need to understand that one should not get carried away by some of this fresh gushing and outreach. The Chinese have a deep rooted and long term view of India and themselves which is based on their world view. This basic template cannot be wished away. In any case the Chinese who believe in realpolitik will not!

China’s mistrust of India is deep rooted and is based on a