“No chance in an overall arms race”: Chinese media

BEIJING: India may have
missiles that can reach most
parts of China but stands
“no chance in an overall
arms race” with the country,
a Chinese daily said Thursday,
when India test-fi red
its 5,000 km range nuclear
capable missile, and added
that New Delhi would gain
nothing by stirring “further
hostility”.
The article, “India being
swept up by missile delusion”,
that appeared in the
op-ed section of the staterun
Global Times said India
apparently is hoping to enter
the global intercontinental
missile club, despite intercontinental
missiles normally
having a range of over
8,000 km.
India Thursday test-fi red
the Agni-V missile that can
accurately hit targets more
than 5,000 km away. With
this launch, India entered
an exclusive club of nations
that have this capability.
The daily noted that India
has moved rapidly in developing
missile technology.
“It successfully launched
the Agni IV with a range of
3,500 km last year. Indian
public opinion has long seen
China as its reference point
for military development,”
it said. Criticising India, it
said the country “is still poor
and lags behind in infrastructure
construction, but
its society is highly supportive
of developing nuclear
power and the West chooses
to overlook India’s disregard
of nuclear and missile control
treaties”.
“The West remains silent
on the fact that India’s
military spending increased
by 17 percent in 2012 and
the country has again become
the largest weapons
importer in the world,” it
said. It stressed that India
“should not overestimate its
strength”.
“Even if it has missiles that
could reach most parts of
China that does not mean it
will gain anything from being
arrogant during disputes
with China. India should be
clear that China’s nuclear
power is stronger and more
reliable. For the foreseeable
future, India would stand no
chance in an overall arms
race with China,” it warned.
It went on to say that “India
should also not overstate
the value of its Western allies
and the profi ts it could
gain from participating in a
containment of China. If it
equates long range strategic
missiles with deterrence of
China, and stirs up further
hostility, it could be sorely
mistaken”.
The daily advised that
China and India should develop
as friendly a relationship
as possible. “Even if this cannot be achieved, the
two should at least tolerate
each other and learn to
coexist.” It quickly added
that it would be “unwise for
China and India to seek a
balance of power by developing
missiles”.
“The geopolitics of Asia
will become more dependent
on the nature of Sino-
Indian relations. The peace
and stability of the region
are crucial to both countries.
China and India should both
take responsibility for maintaining
this peace and stability
and be wary of external
intervention,” the article
said. “China understands
the Indian desire to catch up
with China. China, as the
most appropriate strategic
target for India, is willing
to take India as a peaceful
competitor.” The daily
said China and India are
sensitive toward each other,
“but objectively speaking,
China does not spend much
time guarding against India,
while India focuses a lot of
attention on China”. “China
hopes India will remain
calm, as this would be benefi
cial to both giants.”