India’s Mongolia overture irks China

Simran Sodhi

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 22

India today got a load of advice from China as its state-run media, referring to India as a ‘spoilt kid’, asked it to take a cue from China’s handling of US President-elect Donald Trump’s questioning of the ‘One-China’ policy.

The Chinese reference was to India’s recent overtures in trying to help out Mongolia which came under strict sanctions from Beijing following the visit of the Dalai Lama. While India flexed its muscles and offered financial assistance to Mongolia, the matter is now closed with Mongolia bowing to pressure from Beijing and accepting that it will not allow the Dalai Lama to visit in future.

The state-run Global Times, in an article, said, “Sometimes, India behaves like a spoilt kid, carried away by the lofty crown of being ‘the biggest democracy in the world’. India has the potential to be a great nation, but the country’s vision is short-sighted.”

The Chinese Navy recently seized a drone operated by a US survey vessel in the disputed South China Sea. Following protests by the US, China released the drone. Many, however, see this as an example of China sending out a message to President-elect Trump who has upset China by taking a congratulatory telephone call by the President of Taiwan. In a threatening tone, the article said, “Even the US would have to think twice before it messes with China on such sensitive problems, so what makes India so confident that it could manage?

Meanwhile, the Foreign Policy (FP) magazine had its advice for Trump over China and their inspiration came from India. The magazine pointed out that the only country that has so far not acknowledged the One-China policy, with no repercussions from China, is India. The magazine pointed out the 2010 incident when one of India’s military Generals was denied a visa by China. India, it points out took “uncharacteristically swift and punitive action” against China and suspended all bilateral military ties and any form of joint exercises.

Interestingly, even as sources in the government confirm that the government does intend to play up the Tibet card to push China in a corner, FP magazine also takes the same line. “It’s notable, then, that beyond its broad refusal to endorse the One-China policy, New Delhi, has given no indication that it plans to walk back its repeated reaffirmations of Chinese sovereignty over Tibet (much less Taiwan).”