In the People’s Daily, the official gazette of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the most widely circulated newspaper in China, Narendra Modi finds no place among the world leaders seen and photographed interacting with President Xi Jinping. This speaks volumes about China’s actual priorities. For China, India just isn’t a trustworthy potential partner in the way that smaller Asian/South American economies are, which are open to exploring China-centric growth and development. The China-India balance of trade is heavily skewed in favour of the former. China exports to India goods and services having a gross value of $113.5 billion while importing items from us adding up to a piffling $14.25 billion. The deficit is a staggering $99.2 billion. There is almost nothing that India has to offer to China—apparel, crops, fruits, software, cybertech, engineering goods etc.—that China does not already have by the bucketful. China imports from India perfunctorily, simply to keep the engines of trade lubricated, not because it is in dire need of Indian goods. We are getting royally played, in full view of the world, because of Modi’s painfully wide-legged split with one foot each on two superpower boats fast drifting apart in geopolitical currents. Sadly, there’s nothing we can do about it. His running with the hares and hunting with the hounds approach will soon make him fall between two stools, and he will take India down with him. But hey!! Don’t criticise/disturb/advise Saheb right now; the Bihar elections are to be won by hook or by crook first and foremost, national interest be damned.
