Xi invokes Tagore for 'peaceful development' and bigger role for India

NEW DELHI: Quoting liberally from Rabindranath Tagore’s poetry and displaying a surprising knowledge of Indian history, Chinese president Xi Jinping charmed a select audience in the capital with an address where he said India and China were on the same path of national renewal. Reiterating the Chinese mantra of “peaceful development”, Xi suggested that New Delhi and Beijing should be partners in a similar journey.
While offering to support India’s “bigger role” in world affairs, Xi said China wanted to partner India in a more open regional security architecture. This has been India’s approach and Xi’s acknowledgment appears to be a concession to India’s growing stature in Asia. Xi refuted suggestions – both in India and other countries – that China was a “threat” and turned around to say “warlike states will ultimately perish.”
Xi’s speech made it clear that China viewed India as little more than the largest country in South Asia. He said he wanted to boost trade between China and South Asia to $150 billion and Chinese investment to $30 billion in the next five years. Boxing India into South Asia reflects China’s sentiment that India is really not in the same league.
Xi laid out the vision of the China-supported land and maritime Silk Road which, he said, would boost regional development. India is somewhat wary of this initiative, but it has found wide acceptance among other neighbours like Sri Lanka and Maldives. Xi pushed the BCIM corridor -- while India has officially accepted this, Indians have mixed feelings about whether this would actually help India or would tie India more completely into the Chinese sphere of influence. In five years too, Xi said China would send 5000 Chinese language teachers to South Asia to promote Chinese.