'Sensitive' India needs to look beyond rifts with China: State-run media

Hong Kong [China], May 16 (ANI):India and China will continue to have many divergences and the onus for managing this will lie with New Delhi if it continues to view itself as a big and emerging politico-economic power vis-a-viz Beijing, claims an editorial in the state-run Global Times. "It is almost impossible that two big countries can reach agreements on all things. This can be proved by the many differences between China and the U.S. But China and the U.S. have maintained smooth bilateral relations, from which New Delhi can learn," the editorial maintains. The editorial further states that rising nationalism has made Indian public opinion extremely sensitive on China-related issues. "Indians are keen to compare themselves with China on development and international status, but strongly object to China developing friendly cooperation with Pakistan, for fear that Sino-Pakistani ties are targeting India," it says. Describing the recently held Belt and Road Summit in Beijing as successful and fruitful, the Global Times editorial said it saw New Delhi's objection to the event as irrelevant and ineffective in terms of impact, and believes the initiative will make substantive progress in the world. The editorial said, "The international community has shown a very positive response to the infrastructure-building initiative.. India appears to be the only country that has expressed disapproval of the initiative in recent days." "The CPEC is a cooperation project in a purely economic sense with no aim to stir up political trouble," it adds. It concludes by saying that "Sino-Indian relations have not seen a serious downturn. The border of the two countries has been peaceful in these years, the most important force for stable bilateral relations. Both countries have prioritized economic and social development in their national strategies. Maintaining friendly ties conforms to the two countries' fundamental interests. The specific frictions between Beijing and New Delhi should not be regarded as a signal for intense geopolitical competition." (ANI)