China may end up being the real enemy of India, warns Chinese daily

If India does not stop projecting China as an enemy and a threat China may end up becoming exactly that, warns an article in the Chinese daily Global Times.

The newspaper which has been heading the anti-Indian rhetoric since the beginning of the crisis in Doklam also claimed that the country is using the Chinese threat as an excuse to advance its interests in the region.

The article by researcher Long Xingchun came with the heading that stated that the elites in India are set to gain from the ongoing conflict.

The write-up also claimed, that the theory saying Chinese movements are a threat to the vital Siliguri corridor – the 27 km-long plain that connects North east with the rest of India – is wrong as India can use other routes referring to the connection via Bangladesh to maintain its link. According to the

According to the article, India is trying to replace Pakistan with China as a threat as the former's giant gap with India makes it a wrong choice of enemy.

“By preaching about the "China threat", politicians gain votes, military officers gain budget, media gains circulation and scholars gain popularity”, the article said.

It goes on to state that by giving a notion of an external enemy the country is trying to distract its population from the internal problem and conflicts that originate from the diverse nature of its population.

The article said that rather than seeing the involvement of China in the Indian Ocean and the South Asian region India should see it as a great opportunity.

The writer also alleged that India is illegally occupying large swathes of Chinese territory and fears that the Chinese army would retake it.

The article comes at a time when the standoff at Doklam has shown no signs of ending with troops of both countries refusing to pull out from the disputed territory.