I’ve a well-liked account on Chinese social media the place customers typically touch upon varied worldwide points. This has grow to be a window for me to know Chinese public opinion on international affairs.

Recently, the United States and Europe speculated China would supply weapons to Russia, which aroused the dissatisfaction of many abnormal Chinese. (I nonetheless assume it’s unattainable for China to supply weapons to Russia, for a similar causes I highlighted in article final yr arguing that China would not support Russia invasion of Ukraine.)

Interestingly, and unexpectedly, some netizens discussing the difficulty introduced up the instance of India to refute the U.S. accusations.

Several netizens identified that India and Russia have a higher-level relationship, referred to as a “special and privileged strategic partnership,” and that there have been extra arms offers between India and Russia than between China and Russia. So, they complained, why doesn’t the United States suspect India will present weapons to Russia within the Ukrainian warfare?

In the eyes of those Chinese, that is additional proof that the United States applies “double standards” to China and India within the Ukrainian warfare, although each international locations have refused to sentence Russia for the warfare. The function is supposedly to attract India to the United States’ facet and isolate China.

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This is only one instance of a widespread notion in China: India is the favourite of the West, whereas China has grow to be the goal of the West. How did India handle this? Why is India’s circle of  worldwide buddies so huge?

In truth, Chinese netizens answered the query in the identical dialogue. They argued that one purpose for India’s reputation is that the nation is just not sturdy sufficient to pose a risk to Western dominance. In the eyes of those netizens, if India in the future turns into the world’s second largest economic system and its army energy continues to develop, then the United States will remember to suppress India – as it’s now doing to China.

That is one side of Chinese view about India: India is seen as underdeveloped, and due to this fact it doesn’t pose challenges and threats to many international locations. The West doesn’t take India significantly, so New Delhi can get pleasure from peaceable ties with Washington and its allies. In this view, China is powerful sufficient for the West to be afraid, so it’s pure that Western governments will search to forestall China from surpassing them.

Many examples of Indian underdevelopment seem in Chinese media. Many Chinese persons are conscious of the outrageous rape statistics in India, and in addition that some Indians used cow urine to deal with COVID-19. Such articles deepened the impression of India’s “backwardness” amongst Chinese folks, and fueling the prevailing perception that India is not so good as China in all elements, in addition to its bigger inhabitants.

In different phrases, most Chinese folks really feel a way of superiority and self-confidence vis-a-vis India.

Of course, most Chinese folks don’t wish to see India get too near the United States, however additionally they assume China and India can nonetheless cooperate. The subtext is that India can’t surpass China, so the problem to China is controllable. Just as many Chinese folks purpose that India might be pleasant with the United States as a result of it isn’t sturdy sufficient to be a risk, they imagine China and India can cooperate utilizing the identical logic.

Last week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov participated in the G-20 ministerial meeting in India, the place he praised each China-Russia and India-Russia relations. I wrote an article on Chinese social media to speak about this, and a netizen left a message saying: “The strengthening of cooperation between China, India and Russia can cope with the pressure of the West. After all, India does not fully trust the West.”

I additionally assume that China and India can strengthen cooperation. In truth, I wrote an article for The Diplomat all the best way again in 2014 asking the query: Should China be nearer to India or Pakistan? My reply at the moment was India. The information over the previous 9 years have proved that China and India have extra room for cooperation. For instance, China’s commerce with India is value $115 billion a yr – excess of China’s commerce with Pakistan, which sits at round $30 billion.

Of course, China has not forgotten Pakistan. But many Chinese netizens have a realist view of the 2 South Asian neighbors. The argument could be very sober: The thought of utilizing Pakistan to restrain India is turning into extra unrealistic, as a result of the hole between Pakistan and India is getting wider.

Overall, my impression is that almost all Chinese persons are unfamiliar with Indian society – however they’re curious. For instance, abnormal Chinese are curious in regards to the Indian caste system and its healthcare system. There is a variety of dialogue of each on Chinese social media.

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In addition, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has an uncommon nickname on the Chinese web: Modi Laoxian (莫迪老仙).

Laoxian refers to an aged immortal with some bizarre talents. The nickname implies that Chinese netizens assume Modi is completely different – much more wonderful – than different leaders. They level to each his gown and bodily look, seen as laoxian-like, and a few of his insurance policies, that are completely different from India’s earlier ones.

In explicit, as mentioned above, India led by Modi can preserve a steadiness amongst main international locations on the earth. Whether it’s Russia, the United States, or Global South international locations, India can get pleasure from pleasant ties with all of them, which could be very admirable to some Chinese netizens. So the phrase “laoxian” displays the complicated sentiment of Chinese folks towards Modi, combining curiosity, astonishment, and maybe a touch of cynicism.

I’ve been doing worldwide media stories for practically 20 years and it’s uncommon for Chinese netizens to present a nickname to a international chief. Modi’s nickname stands out above all others. Clearly he has made an impression on Chinese public opinion.

One of my conclusions is, on the entire, the Chinese don’t have any malice towards India, with one obvious exception: the border dispute.

Once the border dispute is talked about, most Chinese netizens grow to be very offended. The notion is that India has besieged and contained China with the help of the West, becoming a member of the Quad for a similar function.

I hope to see sooner or later that China and India won’t hurt bilateral pursuits resulting from border disputes, however develop pleasant cooperation in different elements within the context of sustaining border stability and peace. At the identical time, if Chinese and Indian media can present a extra open and fashionable picture of India, it’ll give abnormal Chinese a greater impression of India. That will certainly be significant for China-India relations.