‘Bharat narrative’: Chinese media praises India’s economic growth, foreign policy under Narendra Modi

Beijing: Global Times, a government owned media in China has praised India’s achievements under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. An article written by Zhang Jiadong, director of the Center for South Asian Studies at Fudan University, Shanghai has hailed India’s achievements in the spheres of economic, social governance and foreign policy under Narendra Modi.

Zhang Jiadong noted that India has displayed strategic confidence and proactivity in crafting and promoting a unique narrative.  The article acknowledges India’s robust economic growth, improvements in urban governance, and a shift in attitude towards international relations, notably with China.

‘For example, when discussing the trade imbalance between China and India, Indian representatives earlier used to primarily focus on China’s measures to reduce the trade imbalance. But now they are placing more emphasis on India’s export potential,’ Zhang said in the article.

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The article said that with its rapid economic and social development, India has become more strategically confident and more proactive in creating and developing a ‘Bharat narrative’.

‘In the political and cultural spheres, India has moved from emphasising its democratic consensus with the West to highlighting the ‘Indian feature’ of democratic politics. Currently, there is even more emphasis on the Indian origins of democratic politics,’ the article published on January 2 said.

Zhang also praised India’s foreign policy strategy under Modi. He claims that the foreign policy of India shows India’s ambition to escape its historical colonial shadow and act as a ‘world mentor’, both politically and culturally.

‘Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed power, he has advocated for a multi-alignment strategy, promoting India’s relations with the US, Japan, Russia and other countries and regional organizations. India has always considered itself a world power. However, it has only been less than 10 years since India shifted from multi-balancing to multi-alignment, and now it is rapidly transforming toward a strategy of becoming a pole in the multipolar world. The speed of such changes is rarely seen in the history of international relations,; Zhang said in the article

‘It appears that a transformed, stronger, and more assertive India has become a new geopolitical factor that many countries need to consider,’ he said in the conclusion.