National Conference leader Omar Abdullah has advised the Narendra Modi government to adopt a one-China policy to end tensions with the neighbour. Even though his intentions are good, Jr. Abdullah makes a complex geopolitical issue sound so simple. China has thousands of things to be angry about India at this juncture than bother about a stance that is almost common to all the countries. Every country has separate relations with China and Taiwan; so does India. This is not new. However, what should irk China is India’s growing stature politically and economically. It is a fact that China’s economy is far larger than India’s, but there are signs that India which is the fastest-growing economy has the capacity for exponential growth. India’s all vital parameters for taking off on a huge trajectory are fantastic; a young population as against China’s ageing population; geopolitical environment; credibility on the world stage and above all a free democracy are all on India’s side.
China picking fights with neighbours and even distant ones is not new. It’s infamously in conflict with 18 countries over territory while it shares borders only with 15! China’s territorial ambitions are not hidden any more. Beijing is trying to browbeat India too as there is an additional provocation for it to do so. The flight of big industry from China to India and other countries like South Korea, and Vietnam is not to its liking. This is the fallout of the Covid-pandemic which China hid from the rest of the world. Also, the world woke to its dependency on China for manufacturing and its dangers. India with its open society, cheap labour and democratic setup became a natural alternative to companies from Apple to major Car manufacturers. China’s economy is crumbling very fast and it is no longer a secret. This all is bothering Xi Jinping and not India’s support for Taiwan