'No one can get away': Rajnath Singh after China daily praises India's stature

Citing a recent article written by Chinese state-controlled Global Times, which praised India's growth story and its rising global stature, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said China's perspective on India changed after the Galwan Valley skirmish in 2020, news agency ANI reported.

Rajnath Singh, who is on a visit to the UK, said India was now a strategic power and not a weak country. He also said no one could scare India and get away with it.

"A columnist for the Global Times, which, in a way, is a mouthpiece for China, published an article with the headline 'What I see about Bharat narrative in India'. This article is a ringing affirmation of the changing Chinese perspective on India. It seems the Chinese government has come to accept that our economic and foreign policies, as well as our changing strategic interests, have helped India emerge as a key global economic player and a strategic power," he said at a community reception at the India House in London.

"I believe that the courage shown by our jawans during the standoff with Chinese troops at Galwan (Valley in Arunachal Pradesh) helped alter Beijing's perspective on India. We are no longer a weak country in the eyes of the world. We are a rising global power. Ab aisa nahi hai ki Bharat ko ankh dikha ke jo chahe so nikal jaye (No one can scare us and get away with it)," he said.

"We don't see anyone as our enemy, but the world is aware that the relationship between India and China is currently under strain. However, we wish to cultivate good ties with all our neighbours and countries across the globe," he was quoted as saying by ANI.

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Rajnath Singh said the Chinese government, "whether they like it or not", has accepted that India cannot be ignored at the global level.

"The writer also noted that the Chinese government now accepts that whether you like India or not, our image and rising global standing can no longer be ignored. Previously, when trade imbalances were discussed, India would count on Beijing to minimise trade imbalances between the two countries. However, that trend is no longer in vogue," the Defence Minister said.

WHAT DID GLOBAL TIMES ARTICLE SAY ABOUT INDIA

Global Times has praised India's strategic confidence and proactive approach in shaping a distinct "Bharat narrative".

Zhang Jiadong, the director of the Centre for South Asian Studies at Fudan University, highlighted India's remarkable achievements over the past four years in his opinion piece that was published in the state-run newspaper on January 2.

It also acknowledged India's economic growth, improvements in urban governance, and a shift in attitude towards international relations, notably with China.

The article also lauded the multi-alignment strategy initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while highlighting how it helped strengthen relations with the US, Japan, and Russia while displaying a nuanced stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

(with inputs from ANI)

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