The Chinese government has downplayed the impact of Thursday's launch of Agni-V on the bilateral relationship, saying both countries were “not rivals but cooperative partners,” striking a different note from the State-run media, which have criticised the launch in recent days as a “political missile” aimed at China.
“We should cherish the hard-earned momentum of cooperation,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Liu Weimin told reporters at a briefing on Thursday, suggesting that the Chinese government did not view the launch as affecting ties. “The two countries have a sound relationship,” he added. “During the fourth BRICS meeting [in New Delhi last month], the leadership of the two countries agreed on a consensus to further strengthen cooperation.”
Missile impact
A day after the launch, China's State-run media questioned the impact of the test of the missile, which is India's first intercontinental ballistic missile that can reach any part of China. Official broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV), in a report, questioned both the missile's capabilities and the West's “double standards.” CCTV asked why there was “silence” from the international community days after widespread criticism of North Korea's failed rocket launch last week.
The channel quoted Su Xiaohui, a scholar from the official China Institute of International Studies (CIIS), as saying this was “a double standards issue.” “The fundamental issue is the strategic partnership between India and the U.S.,” Ms. Su told CCTV. “The U.S. will not admit to its role in the process, so it chooses to turn a blind eye to India's behaviour.”
Chinese missiles ‘more stable'
China's State-run media also quoted experts as playing down the threat posed by the missile, saying that China's own ballistic missiles, such as the Dongfeng DF-31, were “more stable and reliable.”
CCTV said the “accuracy” of India's missiles was a “vital question,” and the missile programme “needed some improvement” and “did not pose a threat in reality.”
Yao Yunzhu, a senior researcher at the Academy of Military Science of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), also questioned the missile's range. He said it would not “upset the current military balance between China and India because India already has Agni-III with a range of 3,500 km.”
‘Just an improvement'
“I don't think the new missile is a significant breakthrough for India,” she told the China Daily. “It's just an improvement on the range, and will not change the current military strength contrast between the two countries.”
Keywords: DRDO, Agni-V, ballistic missile, ICBM
I wonder since when India officially claimed a threatening position over China. As far as the news so far, there is no claim by the Indian Government or the DRDO scientists that their goal to incinerate Chinese land to dust has been achieved. Is The Hindu assuming that Indian government did this to intimidate China particularly? These types of reports are sending a wrong message and provoking such thought in the Indian people and Chinese.
It matters little what Chinese media or govt says in public about Agni-5. What matters is India's threat perceptions and its taking the necessary precautions and deterrence steps of which Agni-5 is one more step. Next tasks are to make Agni-5 road-mobile, testing the MIRV features for multiple warheads, and submarine launched version of Agni-5.
China's official policy is to make it look like it is in competition with the US for pre-eminent role in the world affairs and it wants to make sure India stays as a South Asian power. Acknowledging Indian achievement may make it seem like China is acknowledging India as a rival and power to reckon with in Asia which it doesn't want to do. That is fine, India should do what it needs to do. It doesn't make sense to track every public posturing by Chinese govt or media.
The best part of this report is that the Chinese government does not think that Agni V with a range of 5,000 kilometers and more is a threat to China in any way. The point is not whether India can hit the northernmost parts of China: nobody on behalf of the Indian government has said that; only some Indian newspapers are shouting themselves hoarse. In contrast, some Chinese newspapers etc. said yesterday a few things that were rather disparaging to the Indian achievement, which is being noted and acknowledged around the world. It makes very little difference how the Chinese government, Chinese media, and Chinese think tanks make an assessment in this regard: in fact we have learnt to persuade ourselves that in China, government and media and think tanks mean much the same thing. The point really is that the Chinese government too has taken note of the Indian proceeding.
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