We have all grown up hearing the saying, “love thy neighbor”, but is China, our immediate neighbor really our friend?
Neighbors are supposed to act like friends and not foes right, but China’s stance with India over the years has not been very welcoming thanks to its love for Pakistan and tariff war with Pakistan.
If China cares about India, it will help India better Sino-India relations and truly uphold the ‘Hindi-ChiniBhaí-Bhai’ motto.
Let’s see the tiny mistakes (with big ramifications) our counterparts over the border are making that are hurting India’s progress:
1. We are hot ‘n’ cold to each other in colloquial terms, yet trade partners for the long run
Ever since we had the war in 1962 over Aksai Chin in Jammu and Kashmir, things have spiraled to a new low. Once you have had a war (a war, not a pillow fight!), you never go back. Strike one!
- No countries have become friends after fighting a war with each other. North-South Korea relations getting better are simply an effort to sustain the Korean Peninsula from any invasions.
- Now, in the present day, China and India are two major superpowers who are battling it out with each other to become the largest growing economy by 2037. If that’s healthy competition, we welcome it.
China is already far too developed in comparison to India. When it comes to development and bridging the rural-urban divide, we feel China is strides ahead of India.
China is very willing to help India develop – most of our cheap electronics and manufactured goods come from China, don’t they? One point to China on helping us usher a new era of cheap and reliable products.
So, we may be enemies but are long-term trading partners too.
2. China’s over-enthusiastic nature with Pakistan (India’s most obvious nemesis) doesn’t go down well in ‘friendly terms’. We are trading ‘partners’, right?
China gifts defense equipment, builds roads and buildings under the One Belt One Road initiative and also offers monetary support to cash-strapped Pakistan. We aren’t saying that’s a strict no-no, even Pakistan has the right to develop itself, but defense equipment? That’s not development, that’s building an ally.
- Both China and Pakistan have attacked India over one damn issue – Kashmir. So basically, we as Indians are now being hostage by two neighbors. Strike two!
- Don’t forget the 73-day long Doklam territorial stand-off, that could have led us to another war!
3. The ever-growing US-China tariff war – A solid takedown for India’s economy
Donald Trump is an idiot who likes to do what he wants. In an effort to ‘secure’ his country, he has imposed really outlandish tariffs on imports from China (he plans to do so with India as well considering our relations with Russia and Iran).
- Not only have these tariffs shaken up all of China’s trading partners (of which India is the foremost contender), it has taken India’s economy into a slump too!
- The mistake China is making here is that by imposing counter tariffs on the US as a retaliation by which they both end up dismantling the entire global economic structure. The entire world is into an economic slump currently and a massive period of recession will soon hit us. Mark my words!
No, not wrong on this, the US is being really obnoxious, but as Indians, it is strike three for us! Why? This is because our current PM, Narendra Modi is trying his best efforts to throttle India towards quality development.
- This tariff warbetween the US and China is hampering all major efforts India is taking to improve our basic standard of living.
- While China and India are very nationalist in nature, China needs to understand that aggressive policies will do no one any good, neither them nor India.
4. Another blow to our friendship? Rejuvenated India-US relations
China’s economy is five times larger than ours. We seek constant imports from China to meet our industrial needs and to bolster our economy and defenses, we seek assistance from the US as well. This rejuvenated India-US ‘love saga’ is definitely not going down well with China.
- The tariff war has made the US an economic enemy of China, and USA’s ‘friend’ India automatically becomes China’s enemy.
- The US continuously belittles China, yet we still buy equipment from the former. Chinadoesn’t like that. India has to either sidestep this landmine somehow or decide which partner it believes more in – though that is an impossible task.
- The US economy may seem strong on the outside but is into trillions of debt whereas the Chinese economy is also in very bad shape.
India has to maintain diplomacy with both countries at all costs. China and USA are far more developed than us, and we need them both to partake in our progress. More hands get the job done sooner.
5. Who is taking us down in reality? China or the US?
Technically none of them. However, if China helps us much as it helps Pakistan, we can actually build Asia into something like the EU, but that’s daydreaming, isn’t it?
- If that happens, we might not need the US’s help when our neighbor can supply key goods.
- Both these countries need to realize that many developing countries are reliant on them for future development. China is our close neighbor, and we as Indians can never part with our neighbor, right?
China has and will always be a strategic partner in India’s development, we just hope they treat us in equal measures as they to Pakistan. Then only can we be Bhai-Bhai, trade buddies and not enemies!
We hope China is reading this. We love you for obvious reasons. Care to reciprocate Mr. Jinping?
