India moving towards a great power strategy under PM Modi’s leadership’, says Chinese daily

China’s state-controlled Global Times has applauded India’s economic policies and diplomatic achievements over the past four years under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership in an article titled “Bharat Narrative,” highlighting that New Delhi’s strategic thinking in “foreign policy has evolved, moving towards a great power strategy.”

An article written by Zhang Jiadong, the Director of the Centre for South Asian Studies at Fudan University, Shanghai has highlighted India’s remarkable achievements over the past four years.

Moreover, it acknowledged India’s robust economic growth, improvements in urban governance, and a shift in attitude towards international relations, notably with China.

“For example, when discussing the trade imbalance between China and India, Indian representatives earlier used to primarily focus on China’s measures to reduce the trade imbalance. But now they are placing more emphasis on India’s export potential,” Jiadong wrote.

The article also commended India’s proactive approach to fostering a “Bharat narrative” and emphasised the nation’s strategic confidence.

The author further stated that with its rapid economic and social development, India has become more strategically confident and proactive in creating and developing a ‘Bharat narrative’.

“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,” he added.

According to the author, the shift reflected India’s ambitions to escape its historical colonial shadow and position itself as a global influencer, politically and culturally.

The article by the Chinese media further lauded India’s foreign policy strategy under PM Modi, which highlighted the nation’s multi-alignment approach and bolstered ties with major global powers like the US, Japan, and Russia while displaying a nuanced stance in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Highlighting India’s strategic thinking in foreign policy, the article stated that it has undergone another change and is “moving towards a great power strategy”.

“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 organisations,” Zhang stated.

The article further noted that India has always considered itself a world power.However, it has only been less than 10 years since India shifted from multi-balancing to multi-alignment, and now it is rapidly transforming towards a strategy of becoming a pole in the multipolar world.

While concluding, Zhang said, “It appears that a transformed, stronger, and more assertive India has become a new geopolitical factor that many countries need to consider.”

Furthermore, this rarely-seen acknowledgement of India’s advancements and PM Modi’s strategic vision by the Global Times indicates the growing recognition of India’s burgeoning global influence and the implications of its assertive posture on the international landscape.