This column, “From the Chinese Press”, features excerpts from English translations/summaries, and headlines, of some recent articles on India and its neighbouring countries in the Chinese press.
It is presented in collaboration with the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru, whose “India in the Chinese Media” project monitors coverage of India (and its neighbouring countries) in five Chinese official/quasi-official newspapers on a daily basis. (Full texts of translations excerpted can be seen at their website at www.niasindiainchina.in)
The translations are of value for the clues they provide to Chinese (ruling Communist Party elite) thinking on India and the world. The contents of these editorials, opinion pieces etc. published in the Chinese newspapers (in Chinese) are meant for domestic (Chinese) audiences, unlike the commentaries put out in their English language newspapers and media platforms (which are aimed at external audiences). They therefore represent authentic perceptions of the Party that have been determined to be appropriate for being placed in the public domain, for feeding Chinese public opinion.
The English language media of China, in contrast, contains content that the Chinese Party/State organs wish to project abroad to global audiences (as their take on contemporary developments). It is not at all the same as what the Chinese people are told in the domestic, Chinese language press. In other words, it (the former) does not represent anything real — it is sheer propaganda that does not deserve to be taken seriously.
Regrettably, however, the English language output of the Chinese media is swallowed in the country as the authentic view and voice of official China, unexamined. The public discourse on China in India is based entirely on those projections in English, without inclination or diligence to see them for what they are — prime vehicles for propaganda bluff and bluster.
And unmindful, at the same time, of the vulnerability of readings and assessments made within that basic limitation (of being based on English language hand-outs, not on authentic source material in Chinese) to manipulation — to the time-honoured Chinese stratagem of mind control of the adversary through disinformation (and even deception) and diversion of the enemy’s attention in desired directions, away from the true action centres, that is known to be an essential ingredient of Chinese statecraft steeled in ‘the art of war’ by a tradition going back all the way to Sun Tzu.
Such a basic gap in the study of an important neighbour like China is in dire need of correction, obviously.
The “From the Chinese Press’ column is a modest attempt in that direction. Any queries can be addressed to Ambassador Saurabh Kumar, Adjunct Professor, NIAS, who anchors the “India in the Chinese Media” project, at saurabhkumar1610@gmail.com.
Global Times (Chinese) June 06, 2017
British media guess Australia, Japan, India and Vietnam will set up a “new anti-China alliance”
...some Asian nations are seeking to bolster “informal alliances” among themselves, unsettled by growing fears that the United States could not be relied on to maintain a “buffer” against China’s assertiveness.
…Australia, Japan, India and Vietnam are quietly stepping up discussions and co-operation, although taking care not to upset Beijing… No one was yet talking about (forming) a formal alliance….
…India has been actively strengthening cooperation in the region. last month, India sent four warships and a P-8 “Poseidon” anti-submarine patrol aircraft to Singapore to carry out a joint military exercise. India is also “discreetly” helping improve Vietnam’s defense. New Delhi rejected an Australian request to join its Malabar naval exercises next month with Japan and the United States for fear of antagonising China, which has warned against expanding the drills… But officials say the exercises will expand gradually,…”There are different strands of cooperation. At some point they will come together,” one Indian official said.
…these countries….cannot rely on their strength alone to “challenge” China. …there are many structural contradictions between… (them)… Foreign media deliberately creating (such) topics and hot spots cannot be ruled out. And the countries concerned …to induce USA to strengthen its Asia-Pacific security policy.
Global Times (Chinese) June 06, 2017 — Editorial:
…Australia, Japan, India and Vietnam privately discussed (formation of an) alliance during the Shangri-la Dialogue (with a view to) resisting Beijing’s growing influence...
It was like a trial balloon to test waters in the US and China simultaneously, aimed at exerting pressure on both Washington and Beijing, albeit in different ways…
….China will not be frightened by this bluff… A new anti-China alliance, while it will seriously poison the geopolitical atmosphere, will not attract a buy-in from the region as a whole. Nor would there be any advantage for the countries concerned...
China is the largest trading partner of Australia, India and Vietnam and the second largest of Japan. ...Sino-Indian border stability is vital to India’s economic development. China and India are also members of the BRICS and the SCO, (if)these countries form an alliance because of an imaginary “China threat, what would happen to their ostensible partnership with different agendasIJ
Tokyo once advocated a “strategic alliance” between the US, Japan, Australia and India but ultimately it remained empty talk, nothing came out of it. An Australia, Japan, Vietnam and India alliance would be still less reliable. Even a vigorously peddled “China threat” would not (be able to) provide the glue for the four countries to bond together…
Washington itself is likely to scoff at such a balloon. Without the participation of the US, there would be no leader and the thin (weak) common interests of the four countries would not be able to integrate… If America were to form an alliance with the four countries, that would be a complete change in the strategic structure of the Asia-Pacific and impact the global architecture. (But) Washington will not do that, unless it slots China as “the enemy”.
China and the US are the world’s largest trading partners, and also set (destined) to be global governance partners. Washington will not (decide to) determine the nature of Sino-US relations on the basis of the feelings of these four countries.
Even in case of the US-Australia, US-Japan and US-South Korea alliances, although they are strong, they cannot properly exert all (their) strength on the deep (rooted) problems of the Asia-Pacific scenario. The China-America contention and the disputes supposedly arising out of the rise of China are not purely geopolitical struggles. .
The so-called Australia-Japan-India-Vietnam alliance does not correspond with the current mission (aspirations) of these countries. Indian and Vietnamese society is eager for development, Australia and Japan are most worried about their decline and marginalization; which alliance can help them ! …
China Daily (English) June 06, 2017
Indian Minister Climbs Tree to Talk on Phone
Global Times (Chinese) June 02, 2017
How can Indian Internet market attract China and USIJ
Global Times (Chinese) June 01, 2017
A disturbance because of a short skirt
Global Times (Chinese) May 26, 2017
Indian media looks forward to revival of American New Silk Road
Guangming Daily (Chinese) May 24, 2017
Do you understand IndiaIJ
Global Times (Chinese) May 23, 2017
India is making a new policy to give a powerful blow against Chinese companies
Global Times (Chinese) May 22, 2017
Indian media: it’s time to worry about big planes of China
Global Times (Chinese) May 22, 2017
“Wrestling! Dad” (Dangal) struck a chord in China
Global Times (Chinese) May 17, 2017
Pakistani media reveals long-term plan for “the economic corridor of China and Pakistan”
India and japan are seeking to build “strategic great wall” to contend with China.
Global Times (Chinese) May 16, 2017
Is Singapore exploited by India in joint military drill to ‘contain’ ChinaIJ
Global Times (Chinese) May 15, 2017
India is staring at the Chinese submarine’s trip to the Indian Ocean
“leap” of cooperation between China and Pakistan draws attention of India
Global Times (Chinese) May 12, 2017
Dangal points the way