From The Telegraph London (22 04 2012)
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China warns India of arrogance over missile launch
India has been warned against arrogance in its relations with Beijing
following its successful launch of an intercontinental ballistic
missile capable of striking any city in China.
The editorial was published after India claimed its successful test of
the Agni V meant it had joined the elite group of countries with
intercontinental ballistic missile capabilities Photo: AP
By Dean Nelson, New Delhi1:26PM BST 20 Apr 2012232 Comments
It has spent heavily on military expansion despite its poverty on an
arms race it cannot win, according to an editorial in China's
state-controlled Global Times newspaper.
The editorial was published after India claimed its successful test of
the Agni V meant it had joined the elite group of countries with
intercontinental ballistic missile capabilities. The missile can hit
any city within 3000 miles with a nuclear war head.
The aggressive tone taken by the Global Times contrasted with the
official reaction of its foreign ministry which said India and China
were not rivals but "co-operative partners. We should cherish the
hard-earned momentum of co-operation," said its spokesman Liu Weimin.
But Beijing's state-controlled media reacted more aggressively,
accusing India of nuclear proliferation in breach of international
treaties.
"India is still poor and lags behind in infrastructure construction,
but its society is highly supportive of developing nuclear power and
the West chooses to overlook India's disregard of nuclear and missile
control treaties. The West remains silent on the fact that India's
military spending increased by 17 per cent in 2012 and the country has
again become the largest weapons importer in the world.
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"India should not overestimate its strength. Even if it has missiles
that could reach most parts of China, that does not mean it will gain
anything from being arrogant during disputes with China. India should
be clear that China's nuclear power is stronger and more reliable. For
the foreseeable future, India would stand no chance in an overall arms
race with China," the editorial claimed.
It also warned India against serving the interest of the United States
and other western partners in seeking to "contain" China's expansion.
"India should also not overstate the value of its Western allies and
the profits it could gain from participating in a containment of China.
If it equates long range strategic missiles with deterrence of China,
and stirs up further hostility, it could be sorely mistaken," it warned.
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