The landslide victory of BJP in Uttar Pradesh state elections has not only shocked its opponents but also given a strong signal that Modi magic is still working. This victory also affected the neighboring nations, such as China and it was pretty evident when Global Times, the state-run Chinese news outlet, wrote that it meant “more difficulties in making compromises” over international matters.
The outlet wrote that it increased the chances of Modi getting elected in 2019 as well and he would carry on with his hard-line attitude which would be undoubtedly good for India but not for China. Beijing is keeping a close watch as to how these election results will impact the bi-lateral ties of the two nations.
The news outlet writes that Narendra Modi has been elected in the name of development and these state wins clearly imply that public has approved his tough decisions such as demonetization. Global Times praises PM Modi when it states,
“Even though some actions failed to deliver good results, still, he proved that he is a man of action, rather than a politician with only slogans.”
The Chinese news outlet also talked about the Modi effect at international level when it stated,
“In the international arena, he changed India’s previous attitude of trying never to offend anyone and started to take a clear stance in controversies among other nations to maximize its own interests.”
Global Times added that PM Modi improved relations with Beijing and Moscow and also showed interest in becoming a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization but very strategically, he made a balance when, “he also upgraded defense collaboration with the US and Japan, articulated his support for the US rebalance to the Asia-Pacific strategy and Washington’s stance on the South China Sea issue.”
The Chinese media feels that if Modi wins the second term, “India’s current firm and tough manner is bound to continue”, which may make resolving of disputes difficult as India won’t be ready to compromise. It also talked about the Indo-China border dispute as it wrote,
“No silver lining has yet emerged and Modi demonstrated his firm stance over the issue by celebrating Diwali, India’s biggest holiday, with soldiers at the Sino-Indian border.”
However, the news outlet also feels that PM Modi can play an important role in solving Indo-China dispute as, “hard-liners also have powerful strength in coming to an agreement with others once they make up their mind, given their executive ability and high efficiency.”
It’s not just the Chinese media which is talking about the Indian state election results; the American experts also feel that with these wins, it is clear that Modi is the favorite choice for 2019. Some are of the opinion that the results of these state elections have also showed that election results of 2014 were not just “aberration.”
What do you think of Chinese media’s opinion? Do let us know in the comments section below.