India (Commonwealth Union)_ An article featured in China’s Global Times, renowned as a state-run media outlet, has lauded India’s burgeoning achievements in economic, social governance, and foreign policy under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Authored by Zhang Jiadong, the director of the Center for South Asian Studies at Fudan University, Shanghai, the article comprehensively acknowledges India’s significant strides over the preceding four years.
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The article commends India’s increasing strategic confidence and proactive endeavors in crafting and nurturing a distinct “Bharat narrative.” Notably, it highlights India’s strong economic growth, enhancements in urban governance, and a perceptible shift in its approach to international relations, particularly in dealings with China. Zhang Jiadong underscores a noteworthy transformation in India’s discourse on trade imbalances with China. Previously, Indian representatives primarily focused on critiquing China’s measures to mitigate trade imbalances, but now there is a noticeable emphasis on India’s export potential.
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2 foreignpolicy.com
Furthermore, the article underscores India’s evolving stance in the political and cultural spheres. The emphasis has shifted from aligning with Western democratic consensus to spotlighting the ‘Indian feature’ of democratic politics, with an increasing focus on the indigenous roots of democratic practices. It stated, “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”.
According to the author, this perceptible shift reflects India’s aspiration to break free from its historical colonial legacy and position itself as a “world mentor,” wielding influence both politically and culturally. The article also commends India’s foreign policy strategy under the leadership of PM Modi, lauding its multi-alignment approach. This approach involves strengthening relations with major global powers such as the United States, Japan, and Russia while maintaining a nuanced stance in conflicts such as the Russia-Ukraine dispute.
The author points out a discernible change in India’s strategic thinking in foreign policy under Prime Minister Modi, moving unmistakably towards a great power strategy. Since assuming power, PM Modi has advocated for a multi-alignment strategy, cultivating cordial relationships with the US, Japan, Russia, and various regional organizations. The author said, “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.”.
The article observes that India, long considering itself a global power, has shifted from multi-balancing to multi-alignment in less than a decade and is rapidly progressing towards becoming a pole in the multipolar world, a transformation of unprecedented speed in the history of international relations. Overall, the author underscored that India, now transformed into a more robust and assertive entity, has emerged as a new geopolitical factor that demands consideration from nations across the globe.
