Beijing Will Not ‘Sit With Its Arms Crossed’, If India Supplies Weapons To Vietnam: Chinese State Media

Reacting to India’s proposal to supply indigenously-developed Akash surface-to-air missile systems to Vietnam, the state-run media in China said on Wednesday (11 January) that New Delhi’s action will instigate trouble in the region. An op-ed published in the Global Times, widely considered as the mouthpiece of the Communist Party that rules China, said that India should build ties with Vietnam for the “sake of peace and stability in the region, rather than stirring up troubles or anxiety for others.”

Warning India against treating its relationship and military cooperation with Vietnam as a revenge against Beijing, it said that the move will create disturbance in the region. Hinting towards the possible supply of sophisticated weaponry to Pakistan, it said that “China will hardly sit with its arms crossed.”

This statement comes as a surprise because China is not only forming a nexus with Pakistan against India, but also undertaking dual use infrastructure projects on sovereign Indian territory unlawfully occupied by Pakistan. Beijing, in a move aimed at containing India, has been supplying weapons to Pakistan since the 1960s. It has not only equipped Pakistan with the technology to built nuclear weapons and delivery systems that Pakistan today flaunts with pride, but is also building a number of naval vessels including submarines for Islamabad.

Pointing the gun towards Indian media, it said that “such reports directed against China have long become a tradition. It is hoped that the hype in the Indian media does not represent the country's government”, it added.